


Those of us that waited

by HighlyExplosiveContent



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney Cartoons (Classic), Hercules (1997)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Drinking Games, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mental Health Issues, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Slow Burn, lesbians being lesbians, meg is bi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:28:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 51,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22171048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HighlyExplosiveContent/pseuds/HighlyExplosiveContent
Summary: Before Hercules has the chance to choose between a mortal life and godlyhood, Meg is thrown off of Mount Olympus. With no explanation of how she'd turned up in this off town, Meg is forced to begin anew, far from vengeful gods and the man she loves.
Relationships: Hercules/Megara (Disney), Megara/others (Disney)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 24





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey-oo! 
> 
> So apparently the only thing I have the mind to write right now, fanfiction-wise, is Disney. This is canon-divergent from the last scene in the movie, where Meg is back on earth and Hercules hangs with the gods. The upcoming chapters will be missing our hero but don't you worry your pretty little heads, he'll show up in the (somewhat) near future!
> 
> Please comment if you have any thoughts, want to share some constructive critisism or if you think I missed a tag somewhere. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Hercules has the chance to choose between a mortal life and godlyhood, Meg is thrown off of Mount Olympus. With no explanation of how she'd turned up in this off town, Meg is forced to begin anew, far from vengeful gods and the man she loves.

**Mt. Olympus**

Hermes watched as the olympian gods surrounded the new addition to the greek pantheon, celebrating and patting the young man enthustically on the back. Hercules had a delighted smile spread across his face when the gods surrounded him. He truly deserved this welcome, Hermes thought, reminiscing of the kid's humble years of high school.

His eyes turned from the gods and, as if hearing his name spoken, immediately looked at Zeus who stared at him, his expression dancing.

Now, a mere mortal who hadn’t spent thousands of years at Zeus’s side would probably think that the king of the gods was having trouble with passing gas or getting facial spasms. Hermes however, could read his expressions like a scroll. 

_A little favor, Hermes?_ Zeus’s face said. Hermes raised an eyebrow quizzically.

_Right now?_

_Get the mortal woman off this mountain._

_Huh,_ Hermes thought and looked over the throng of gods, down the stairs to where the young mortal stood, hands locked and head bowed in reverence. He turned back and answered, _What about your divine son, chief? Shouldn’t they at least, ya know, get to say goodbye?_

_My son needs to see his potential. Just put her down on Earth where you picked them up._

Hermes didn’t always approve of Zeus’s ideas and rules, having familiarized with the results of some of his boss’ less than stellar orders. He still held the opinion that the whole “mortal until proven a true hero”-business that Zeus had implemented a thousand years ago had been a bit over the top. He did, however, know better than to disobey him.

 _Fine Big Z, gimme a sec._ At that, Zeus seemed to be satisfied and turned his gaze back to beam at his son, who’d been happily mobbed by his cousins, aunts and uncles.

The other gods were too focused on the celebration to notice the snap of Hermes’ fingers, too loud in their cheers to hear the crack when the ground that Megara was standing upon suddenly disappeared and she immediately fell through. Hermes turned back to Zeus, a quizzical eyebrow raised and in return got a minimal nod. Zeus seemed pleased.

_Good job, now my son can finally become one of us._

You might have wondered how the gods had been able to put as many words and meanings into their expressions. Don’t dwell on it, they barely understand it themselves.

Even though Hermes didn’t feel any strong bond to the humans on earth, their lives so fleeting and fragile, his heart gave an uncomfortable tug as he watched Hercules turn around to catch Meg’s eyes. His young face, flush with happiness, found the space where she’d stood empty.

It is worth noting that Hermes' accuracy when it comes to Earth is not the best. It's not even that good. That's why when he put Meg back on Earth, she was about to give a small fishing town the fright of their lives.

\----

_Thespiae in Boeotia, Greece_

The morning was going terribly so far, a perfect continuation of the terrible night before. 

Althea straightened her sore back and tied the loose strands of her greying hair into a knot. She swore as she muddled through the debris of what had once been the town marketplace. Last night’s incessant earthquakes and storms had turned the shops into firewood.

She'd been a merchant all her life, she'd known businessmen who'd do anything to get their hands on more riches, she'd endured terrible years of dying crops, yet she'd never heard of destruction of this calibre before. Where there used to be rows of market stalls, with impressive designs carved into wood, there was nothing but a pile of useless planks . Where there had been fish of all sizes, there could only be found one squid, that had landed in the midst of the storm, right on top of a house.

“I keep telling you, it’s punishment from the Gods themselves,” A pale man moaned behind her, following at her heel. 

“It’s not the gods, Gregor,” Althea sighed, annoyed at yet another conversation turning to religious speculation. She and Gregor had known each other for 20 years and the fool could never stop himself from claiming divine interventions. “It’s nature. These things happen, all the time.”

“Ohhh,” Gregor moaned, completely ignoring Althea’s comment. He fell to his knees and threw his skinny arms up in the air. “Demeter is angry with us. You haven’t sacrificed any of the good goats this year, and now we’ve lost so much food. Right before harvest, too! Now only the dogs will want to eat these mushes.” He picked up a sad excuse for an apple in a pile that had been completely crushed. The apple was covered in dirt, soft and turning orange from exposure to the air. It looked pathetic, Althea admitted quietly to herself.

As the sun continued to rise, merchants, fishermen and farmers were leaving their homes to do damage control of their respective shops by the Thespian port. Some looked resigned, simply standing with their hands on their hips and shaking their heads. Others moaned and cursed the gods, staring up at the sky and wondering what they had ever done to deserve this.

Then the sounds of hooves came closer. From the corner of her eye, Althea noticed a familiar figure slow down her horse and dismount. Alexis, a young woman with dark braided hair in sturdy armor, walked over to Althea and Gregor.

“Good to see you, friends,” Alexis smiled. She looked like she’d ridden through a stable that had caught on fire, her dark hair nearly loosened completely from her braid, her armor sooted and dirty. “You are not gonna believe the week I’ve had!”

“That’s right,” Althea scoffed, her voice sharper than she’d meant it to be. “And where have you been while our town was torn to pieces?”

“Came straight out of Thebes, and I gotta tell ya,” Alexis chuckled, “You guys got off easy compared to the big cities. Your house is a damn palace compared to the rest of the island”. 

There was a chill blowing through the party, as Althea and Gregor exchanged nervous glances.

“What do you mean?” he whispered, looking over his shoulder to make sure they weren’t overheard. “Is it … Titans? I went to the oracle of Delphi last summer,” Alexis fondly rolled her eyes at the man’s tangent, “ and she told me that I should watch out for natural disasters, in case Lythos the Titan of the Earth and Pyros, the --”

Althea impatiently waved him off to silence him and waited for an answer from the mercenary.

“It’s chaos out there. I was already on my way out through the gates of Thebes when the ground started moving and I heard people screaming.” She drew in a shaky breath, staring at the sky and gesticulating. “I went back and saw the biggest and ugliest thing I’ve ever seen--”

“ _A titan_!?” Gregor exclaimed. 

“No, don’t encourage him!” Althea hissed. Alexis scratched her head.

“Actually, he may not be far off,” she admitted, much to Gregor’s delight and Althea’s dismay. “The monster was a giant! And he picked up statues and houses like they weighed nothing! By the time we’d evacuated most of the citizens, there were others coming from villages nearby, telling us of all their cattle blowing away in tornados, entire crops freezing in a peloponnesian minute, and fires so big they were unstoppable!”

She stopped and looked at Althea and Gregor. Their mouths hung open. 

“ I immediately rode here, in case you’d been cursed by the same fate, and found you guys, alive and well!”

“ _Well_? Our entire income is ruined! It will take weeks if not moons of work to rebuild this, and you think we're well!?” Althea spat, fear replaced by frustration. 

She was far too old to be on her feet all day. That was why she’d even hired Gregor in the first place. The merchants in the marketplace were not gonna be happy - so many goods and hours of work completely thrown out the window. The town would be struggling for a long while, now.

“I didn’t mean--” Alexis sighed, “I know this isn’t exactly a good outcome, but imagine had your homes burnt down, or-or if you’d been crushed by the earthquakes! You could have been killed!”

“Or had we been punished by Poseidon for not sacrificing half of our catches --” Gregor chimed in excitedly, but was interrupted by a sound so strange, that every one, including the merchants in the marketplace, ran towards the direction of the noise. 

Neither of them actually saw what caused the loud whistling through the air, until something seemingly out of nowhere crashed into the waves. A pillar of ocean water rose and landed with deafening splashes, that caused waves upon waves to hit the piers. 

“What in the name of--” Althea began.

“There’s someone in the water!” one of the older fishermen at the pier shouted.

Within seconds Alexis had dropped the reigns of her mount and sprinted towards the end of the docks. Her work as a mercenary demanded her to be swift and strong on her feet and so she was there in seconds. Gregor and Althea hurried after her, as fast as they could, followed by the rest of the people in the agora. Alexis dove into the water and swam towards the sunken person, white foam and bubbles giving the spot away. She drew in a deep breath and dipped her face under the surface, eyes blinking open and spotting the lifeless form that slowly, slowly was sinking. 

On the docks, Althea ordered Gregor to light up the fireplace in her villa and kept her eyes on the spot where Alexis had just disappeared. It was eerily quiet on land, until Alexis breached the surface, a small body held tightly against her chest. As soon as her feet touched the shallow ground, she gathered the young woman in her arms and carried her the rest of the way.

People were ready to help Alexis and the woman on the shore. She staggered and put her down gently on her back. Althea came up to them, staring incredulously at the unconscious body lying in the sand. It was a woman, pale and small, her long, soaked dress clinging to her frame.

“Get her on her side so she doesn’t choke,” Althea said, sounding far calmer than she was. “And when is anyone going to get her some warm clothes?” 

Alexis pounded the woman’s back, and she coughed up water, eyes blinking open. She shook like a leaf, staring with deep lilac eyes at the women. Breath shaking, she mumbled something, but didn’t seem to get her voice to function. Her long, dark hair lay plastered to her thin body. Someone gave Alexis a blanket that she wrapped around the poor woman.

“You’re safe, we’re gonna get ya warm,” Alexis assured her and helped her to her feet. The woman stood on shaking legs, but collapsed into Alexis’ arms almost right away. So she did what any gentleman- or woman - would do and picked her up again, following Althea towards the inner yard of her villa. Any thoughts of burning cities and torn apart market stalls were gone for the moment.

As the almost-drowned-woman lay by the fireplace, covered in sheepskin and blankets, lost in unconsciousness yet again, Althea and Alexis observed her quietly. Althea sat down gingerly on a chair, leaning her chin on her hands.

“She’s gotta be around your age, right?” she mused with a quick glance at the mercenary, who shrugged, seemingly interested in the woman’s face. “And so skinny and pale! She looks starved.”

“Yeah, she must have been living very--,” Alexis began.

“Don’t make spartan jokes in this house,” Althea chided, which elicited a short laugh from her friend. 

“I do wonder where she came from,” Alexis murmured. “No one seems to recognize her. And She couldn’t have jumped from the cliffs, right? Heh, I bet Gregor’s imagination is going wild right now!”

Althea didn’t answer. The woman stirred under the blankets, let out a deep sigh and lay still again. She looked so tired. So fragile. Althea sighed.

“I need wine.” 


	2. The lifeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meg wakes up, throws up and then gets up.

Meg awoke slowly. Her legs were stiff and itching. Her hair smelled of sea and sulfur. She didn’t quite grasp reality yet, her mind still catching up with her. When she slowly opened her eyes, one at a time, and found she was nowhere familiar, anxiety squeezed tightly at her heart. 

The reason she had trouble moving was because she was covered in several layers of fabric and wool. In front of her was a fireplace, the blackened logs still glowing red in places. So that also explained why she was sweating so profusely. 

She sat up in the heap of pillows she lay in and looked around, flinching as a sharp pain cut through her ribcage. 

She frowned. Something in her subconscious was pushing to the front of her mind. Something she needed to remember. There was, however, a feeling in her body that she wouldn’t be happy to relive the memory. 

“Finally awake, eh?” a warm, deep voice called from the doorway. A woman strode in, a smile on her face. Her armor and sheathed sword should probably have put Meg on alert, but she was too confused to be afraid or worried. The woman had beautiful dark, tousled hair that was kept in place by a thin bond. “Just when I was going to bed.” She put down a mug and a pitcher by Meg’s bed and sat down cross legged beside her. “How’re you feelin’?”

_A genuine smile. Kind eyes._

_No sense of strings attached to her insides._

Suddenly Meg was hit by the sheer force of an entire day’s memories floating up to the surface. Taken completely by surprise, she bent forward and gasped for air, as if she’d been holding her breath for too long. The stranger put a gentle hand on her shoulder, worry in her voice, 

“You need somethin'? Are you okay?”

Meg threw up on the stranger’s sandals in response.

\----

Days must have passed. Meg spent a lot of the time sleeping. The other hours of the day she was either crouched in the corner of her bedroom or silently looking out the window, observing people passing by. 

_I’m free. Completely free, no strings attached. Alone, again._

Her thoughts barely left this stage before she was again bent over her knees, trying not to hyperventilate. Whatever her body was feeling, there were too many emotions in one go. On one hand, relief and disbelief, on the other anger and deep, deep sorrow. Feelings that she barely had let herself feel for years bubbling up to the surface, taking her by force each time. 

One moment, she’d imagine what she would do now that she was completely free to do whatever she wanted, to go wherever she pleased. The next, she’d be mourning her dead family in a way that she hadn’t been able to during her years of servitude to Hades. 

Her freedom hardly left her with a renewed agency or confidence. Instead, she felt like her body was in danger of lifting off the ground, no more anchored to the earth.

She could do whatever she wanted. The thought didn’t make her feel free.

Any thoughts of Wonderboy were held at arm’s length at all times. the very few times memories of his face or voice surfaced, she promptly pushed them out of her mind, focusing on a spot on the wall until they went away. The wounds were too fresh.

She was alone most of the time, though the woman from her first night, Alexis, came by each night to give her soup and bread, water and wine. She never felt like eating, though for Alexis’ sake, she tried at least a few mouthfuls. 

Others would stop by, though Meg could never get their names to stick. They would ask her about where she’d come from, what she had been doing out at sea alone, if she’d angered any gods lately…

In the end, it was a woman called Althea who got her out of her misery. 

She’d stop by every now and then, silently eyeing her, getting something from another room and leaving. On this particular morning, however, she stomped into the room where Meg was staying and threw open the shades to the windows. Meg, who was sitting in the corner counting her toes to suppress any thoughts of Wonderboy, snapped her head up at the sturdy, tall woman standing right in front of her. A small thrill of fear rippled through her. 

“Get up,” she ordered, no invitation to question, and threw a chiton that once must have been white at Meg. Taken completely by surprise, Meg caught the fabric and stared at it. 

“I’ve had enough of this wallowing,” she said, barely suppressed anger bubbling under her quiet stance, making Meg look up to meet her eye. “You’ve been sitting here for days, staring at the wall and eating our food, while honest men and women are working their behinds off to restore our town after the natural disasters from last week.” She put her hands on her hips and stared her down with her steely gaze. 

Meg stared at her. Adrenaline had shot through her at the sudden entrance, and was slowly ebbing away. For a split second, she’d imagined Hades’s face in the doorway, looking for revenge. It left her with reddened cheeks and warm hands. They had felt icy cold for weeks. 

Years later, Meg would recognize this act of violent awakening as kindness from the older woman. Althea wasn’t one for words and preferred action, reaching out a hand to the woman currently drowning in her own mind. Althea, in her own way, had given Meg some sort of steady ground to stand on. At the time, however, she wasn’t sure whether the woman wanted to kill her or not.

Once she had changed from her undergarment to the old chiton, and getting no privacy from Althea, she was hurdled out of the safety of the house and out into the bright morning sun. The house seemed to be put with direct view of the market district of… Wherever they were. Of course, all that was left of the market were heaps of destroyed wood, fabrics torn off the stalls and ruined goods.

Despite the early hours there were people working hard to move the debris and start building the market anew. Make-shift stalls had been put up at the other end of the square, continuing on along the connecting alleys 

People of all ages guarded the few goods they’d managed to save or collect, either opening up their own hovels to customers or sitting on old rugs with their stuff. The buildings were better off than the market, Meg noticed. Most of the cattle and horses still lingered in town, though she wondered whether anyone could tell which pig was theirs.

‘What’s happened here?’ Meg asked, still dreading the answer she knew was coming. She’d seen what happened in Thebes, the devastation and death. People's houses had been ripped off the ground and demolished. That had only been one titan. Althea sighed as she ushered Meg to walk faster through the alley they were passing. Houses were lined next to each other, close and intimate. A woman was helping her neighbor put up a new door. 

‘I’ve heard an awful lot of stories of giants and natural disasters. Gregor would have us believe it’s a punishment from the gods.’ She stopped briefly to say hello to the kids feeding their dogs in their backyard, or what was left of it. /p>

‘And what do you think?’ She asked Althea. She shrugged.

‘It doesn’t matter why something has happened, alright?’ she said. ‘All I know for sure is that our town is in deep shit and we need to get it back on its feet. The people in the big cities with money and free time to speculate on its meaning can do so, but that’s a luxury I can’t afford… Which brings me to you,’ She added and turned to Meg again, stopping at the end of the alley, where the houses gave way to the town’s fishing docks. 

Seagulls screeched and the wind was gushing waves and salty air at them. Meg felt a chill in her spine, wondering why Althea had decided to bring her to the place where she had been found. Somehow she doubted Althea would believe her if she told her the truth. The old woman fixed her eyes upon her for a long moment, and then turned around, pointing at one of the fishing boats, the farthest from them. 

‘See that man over there? Grey clothes, big beard, with the nets?’ She asked and Meg felt a wave of anxiety in her chest. ‘His name is Sosthenes and he’ll be your boss from now on. The poor man is far too old to be doing this for much longer. Learn everything you can from him and make sure he doesn’t have to do the heavy lifting.’ Meg felt confused. Somehow her years of servitude to Hades had prepared her for the most humiliating, morally abhorrent or useless tasks ahead. This one seemed almost too… genuine. 

‘That’s it?’ she blurted out, searching Altheas’s face. 

‘That’s it,’ she confirmed. ‘But I expect you to perform your best. He will not enjoy having a squeamish little princess on his hands, and unless you start making yourself useful around here,’ she stopped to point at one of the makeshift stables at the end of the harbour, ‘you’re sleeping in there with the mares’.

Meg didn’t need more incentive.

Althea nodded approvingly and gave her a waterskin, already filled and heavy.

‘Tie it to your belt and get going, I have to go help Agathe with her store now.’ And before Meg had time for any more questions, the woman disappeared down the streets. 

With Althea gone and left to her own devices, the docks seemed less friendly. Though the old croak didn’t seem to like Meg much, she still had brought a small sense of safety for her. Meg looked around, her arms crossed protectively over her chest. The sun was already making a small drop of sweat trickle down her neck. For a few moments she turned to the protective shadow of a hovel and observed the people on the docks.

People were talking. A lot. A constant murmur of voices, laughs and orders sounded through the open streets. There were quite a few kids waving their parents off, and an older man kept shooing off seagulls and cats from their catches. The unmistakable smell of seaweed and salt permeated the air.

Everyone looked so rough. They had clear tans from working outside for years, scars on their arms, calluses on their hands. Whereas she was pale, her hair usually well kept and no callouses to speak of. What was she doing here?

Meg wondered for a brief moment if she should just make a run for it, turn her feet to the road or hide in one of the merchants’ ships, when she noticed the old fisherman that she was supposed to help. Despite his his hunched shoulders and despite how alone he looked amongst the other fishermen, he seemed to have eyes of steel. He worked fast and swift on getting fish out of his nets. She approached him slowly, unsure of what to do or what to say. Whe she was close enough, she greeted him.

The old man, Sosthenes, stared at her disapprovingly. Meg stared back, trying to figure out what this man was thinking. Seconds passed.

'You're the drowning girl, yes?' Sosthenes finally asked. His voice was deep and gravelly. He eyed her with a mixed look of curiosity and suspicion. Meg didn’t like that nickname and hoped it wouldn’t catch on. She sat down on the dusty ground, her feet tucked under her, and reached out her hand in greeting. 

‘Name’s Megara, my friends call me Meg,’ she said, leaving out the fact that whoever she would have ever called a friend was either dead or far beyond reach. ‘Althea told me to assist you. Not that you need assistance’, she added cautiously.

The man frowned at her hand and Meg wondered if he might be a typically superstitious fisherman when he gingerly gripped and shook it. Her smooth, tiny hands looked ridiculous next to his broad palm, fingers that must have been broken at least once in his life.

“Sosthenes,’ he answered, then went back to work, silent once again. _All right_ , Meg thought. _Straight and to the point._

She felt out of place, sitting here while he ignored her. Then eventually, Sosthenes looked at her and lifted the knot in his net that he’d been working on, making sure she could see what he was doing. Meg nodded, relieved to have something to do. A small, barely noticeable smile tugged at his lips as he continued. 

Meg observed Sosthenes as he continued the task of untangling the fishing nets. She listened to the other fishermen who passed their corner of the port, carrying heavy boxes and bags of produce and fish. Some of them greeted Sosthenes and nodded her way, though most of them avoided her gaze. _Bad omen from Poseidon, the drowning girl._

After a few repetitions of the untangling, Meg was given another corner of the net, encouraged to try it out. She did her best, but the ropes were coarse and burned when she tried to untangle the knots. Her fingers ached from the repetitive movements. When the sun had finally started to go down however, she realized what a perfect distraction from her own thoughts this had been.

Eventually a tall man showed up by Sosthenes’s boat, carrying a large bucket of fish and squids. He dropped the bucket at Sosthenes’ feet and declared,

‘Twenty today.’

‘Hm,’ Sosthenes answered, peering into the bucket of tentacles. Meg wrinkled her nose. The slimy things made her think of the sea creatures she’d had to engage with in the previous year. ‘Good. Bring drowning girl, teach her,' Sosthenes voice cut through her musings and Meg turned to him in horror. Some of the creatures still looked alive.

'Excuse me?' 

Sosthenes stared her down, His look saying, _You heard me._ The man with the bucket looked between them suspiciously, before offering his hand. Meg took it reluctantly and stood up. Did she imagine the slimy residue in his palm?

In the warehouse, she’d listened to merchants and crafters who gossiped about what news had come from the surrounding towns. They spoke of Thebes and Meg wondered f maybe she shouldn’t have used her real name. A few times she heard the name ‘Hercules’ and her heart nearly stopped. No one seemed to have noticed her that night, though.

It was late when Meg was dismissed. She'd spent the rest of the afternoon rinsing fish and squids and hanging them to dry or to chill in the cellar below the warehouse. The catches would be sold in the morning, the man named Ianos had explained. Sosthenes made Meg bring an entire fish back to Althea as thanks. And so she dragged herself back through the rubble of the old market with a stinking fish in her hand. 

Thankful that she still was allowed into Althea’s home, Meg offered to help her cook the slimy thing, but the old woman only waved her off and told her to wash off her hands. In the backyard of the house, Meg found a tub of water with a small basin next to it. She filled the basin and sat down on the ground, scrubbing to her best ability at her dirty, stinking hands. 

Gods, but she was tired. Her arms shook from the work. She couldn’t stop thinking of all the lives that had been either lost or ruined because of her. Because of her stupid, stupid mistake. Was that why Wonderboy hadn’t even made a single appearance, because he’d realized, truly, the role that she had played? That was a thought that brought tears to her eyes. He had said that he loved her. Or was that a white lie?

Meg was so deep in thought that the woman behind her nearly made her scream in surprise when she made her presence known. Meg jolted from her reverie and turned. Alexis held up her hands in front of her, but didn’t seem bothered at all. In fact, she smiled. She wore the same getup. A dark grey chiton that hung down to her thighs, a breastplate covering most of her torso. A rusty sword sheathed in her leather belt.

‘Rough day, huh?’ she asked. This made Meg relax her tense shoulders a bit. ‘How are you doing today?’ 

Why was she so interested in Meg’s welfare? Did she know? 

‘Just hoping I can get the smell of dead fish out of my nose,’ she answered. Alexis snickered.

She led Meg back inside the house, where freshly cooked squid was waiting next to a bottle of wine. A few new faces showed up at the table, bringing cooked roots and even a fish. People kept talking, at first about the chaos in the market, then about the stray dog that kept coming back for the spoiled meats. Meg listened carefully, trying to observe as much as she could. Alexis recited the events in Thebes at her friends’ request, and Meg listened intently.

Apparently they were still putting out fires. Some claimed that the destruction was the result of the civil war that was brewing, others that the gods were upset and threw natural disasters at them. The one thing that they all could agree on was that the destruction had reach almost all corners of Greece.

‘Lucky Thebes has their own hero mascot though,’ Alexis joked. Meg tensed. ‘The mighty Hercules!’ she roared for comical effect and the others laughed. ‘Some say he returned to the seat of the gods, carried up by Zeus himself!’ The old man, Gregor, moaned about blasphemy and Althea cut in.

‘Don’t be ridiculous! He’s just another man who claims to be a god, so he’ll be carved into marble and written down in history,’ she sneered bitterly. ‘While honest men and women save each other, they show up and claim the glory.’

‘But I saw him fight the cyclops!’ Alexis insisted and Meg felt grateful for that. ‘Although, not so well to be honest. I was ushering remaining citizens out when he was picked up and nearly eaten by it!’ Meg’s heart sank. ‘Must’ve had a bad day.’

Meg wanted to correct them, to reveal that she’d seen him outside the gates of Olympus, but that would mean she’d have to reveal her involvement. She’d had to explain why she’d been there in the first place, how she’d been the cause of the destruction.

There was no way she could tell them. She felt alone, isolated as the dinner party kept going. The only thought that circled her mind, as she ate quietly and listened to them talking, was that her actions may never be absolved. 


	3. The affair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meg's friendship with Alexis grows stronger, though the thought of Wonderboy never quite leaves her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a teensy bit of steaminess in the end of this chapter. You have been warned.

Time passed quicker, now that Meg got the hang of the routines. On her seventh day with Sosthenes, he announced that he would be taking his boat to the island across the water. Meg squinted at the rocky shores and let out a relieved breath when he added that she didn’t need to come. He left the next day, after she’d helped him load the deck. Ianos joined him and assured Meg that the old man would be fine.

With the extra free time to spare, she took to wandering around town, aimless and bored. She stopped at the market and noticed how much there was still to do. Deep shame burned on her cheeks. This town’s main livelihood was deeply damaged because of her. It had been a trading hub for years before the… catastrophe. 

Meg already knew she’d pissed off the god of death, but what about the others?

Most fishermen avoided her like a plague. Families stared at her. Somehow having a woman mysteriously appear out of nowhere and straight into the ocean, the morning after the most powerful natural disaster in decades, made people suspicious. Meg couldn’t blame them, honestly. And the destruction actually _was her fault._ She'd never be able to repair the damage she'd made.

The busy carpenters looked at her skeptically when she offered them assistance, but after conceding that they did need all help they could get, they let her lift rubble onto the mule-driven cart and transport it out of town.

It had seemed easy enough, but once they'd passed town line, into the neighbors of olive groves and fields of grains, the gray mule refused to walk another inch. No matter how much Meg prompted, the beast would not walk.

Meg was already sweating in the morning light and did not want to carry the materials the rest of the way, so she jumped off the cart and walked up to the mule. Dust from the dirt road gathered on the hem of her chiton. She grabbed the mule’s reigns and stared him down. He stared back and Meg imagined the smug expression on his face. 

‘Don’t make this harder, or I’ll tell your masters that you’d be better off as dinner.’ she threatened. The mule gave an unbothered sigh in answer. Meg rubbed her temples in frustration, doing her best to ignore the snickers and stares from the olive gatherers that were now staring at her from their fields. 

Embarrassed but determined, she grabbed hold again of the reigns and resigned to pull the damned animal the rest of the way. The mule walked a few steps in surprise, then jammed its hooves into the ground and stood stock still. Meg practically leaned the other way on the reigns in an effort for purchase, but they didn’t move another inch. 

‘If you don’t move this instant-’ she ordered even though she knew it was futile. The mule started to turn around and walk back home and Meg almost let him when she heard a familiar voice.

‘Megara!’

Alexis came down the road on her horse, trotting happily and obediently. Meg didn’t know if she was relieved or mortified to see her. The mercenary hopped off her steed to greet her and Meg tried her best to look as is she was in control. It didn’t help that Alexis perpetually had that look, like she woke up every morning fresh and wellrested, in literally shining armor. Her hair was, as was always the case, braided down her back, with flyaway strands sticking to her face. They seemed almost put there on purpose.

‘Ah, old Homeros giving you trouble?’ Alexis chuckled and ruffled the animal’s bristly mane. Meg scowled at him.

‘Right, this is the ‘new girl’ treatment you’re giving me? You bully’, Meg grumbled, eliciting a bark of laughter from Alexis. 

‘Oh, he does this to everyone. But I've figured out his weakness for food.’ She winked and dug into her satchel on the side of her horse, digging up two apples and a pear. At the sight of them, Homeros’ ears perked up and he started to sniff the air. 

‘Oh, a gluttonous beast?’ Meg smirked and borrowed the pear from Alexis. As she stepped backwards down the road, fruits waving right in front of Homeros’ eyes, she found to her relief that the darn mule finally started to move. She almost wanted to cry when they finally arrived at the dumping site. Once there, Alexis immediately started to unload the cart.

Alexis stretched her back once they had finished, a smile on her face. She dried sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand, while Meg breathed heavily from the lifting. She turned to Homeros, who stomped his hoof urgently. ‘Seems your four legged friend’s ready to go home for his afternoon nap now,’ Alexis chuckled. 'C’mon, I’ll go with you!’ 

Meg was grateful for company. Though the woman talked a lot, Meg found she really didn’t mind. They’d enjoy companionable silence once in a while, but mostly Alexis would talk about her mishaps on the road, of the merchants she’d have to threaten to pay back debts or to stop selling their wares for insane prices. She’d ask questions about Meg’s day and welfare, but accepted when her answers were short. She had a very self-assured air about her that might be mistaken for arrogance, but Meg found it charming.

The rest of the afternoon, Meg walked along the streets, helping families gather water from the spring outside of town while they worked. One desperate woman begged her to just babysit her twin toddlers while she had a well deserved nap. The woman nearly cried from relief and immediately fell asleep on her bed while Meg sat on the floor of the hovel, allowing the kids to play with her hair for an hour . 

Years earlier, when Meg had her heart broken for the first time and was forced into servitude, she had started to envision a sinister blackness staining her soul, corrupting her childhood innocence and conscience. For the first time in years, she imagined she could feel the dark patch slowly giving way to a light that she had sorely missed.

Her days were usually busy and filled with distractions , but nights still haunted her. She’d imagine Wonderboy and his hurt face when he’d found out what she was, what she had done. Most nights she dreamt of Hades, showing up to poison every single one of her new friends. He’d uncover all of her secrets, before killing them in front of her eyes.

Those evenings she’d scream herself awake and wake the entire villa up. 

Though her life had started to feel less like a bottomless pit and more like a safe cave, there was still a part of her that wouldn’t let go. She was scared of her past and even more terrified of what the future may hold. Regret and anxiety flooded her and made her shrink into a pile on her bed.

One morning everything started to shift. Meg woke up from a good night’s sleep.

It took the entire morning walk for her to realize that she hadn’t thought of neither Hades, nor Wonderboy, since last night. Somehow it made her hope that perhaps her heart was slowly starting to mend itself. 

The thought elated her, making her greet Sosthenes and Gregor in a cheerier manner than before. Gregor, who was a fantastic sailor, loved to talk about signs of the gods and for once, she indulged in his banter. On her way back to Althea’s, she even stopped by the young mother, Cora, to help her with dinner while she bathed her twins.

The evening went by fast, as Meg partook in discussions by the dinner table at home. Jokes and even some light banter filled the air. Meg found that Alexis loved poking fun of Althea, who gave as good as got. The men at the table tried to discuss politics but almost immediately were distracted by the fresh bottle of wine that Meg had brought. 

For the first time in weeks, she actually heard herself _laugh_. The joke Gregor made was crude and albeit not that funny, but still Meg felt it bubbling in her throat before letting out a hysterical laughter. Her dinner companions started at the sound and stared for a few seconds, before joining in, probably laughing more at the fact that this was the first time they’d seen Meg properly smile.

The sound was foreign in Meg’s ears, and she revelled in it. Tears had slipped from her eyes and she coughed up her last snicker at Althea’s dry ‘You finished, kid?’

Alexis kept throwing her glances across the table, the beginning of a question forming in her eyes, before breaking eye contact. Meg wasn’t sure whether she should answer the unspoken invitation that awaited her. She enjoyed the banter and the cheekiness of the woman. Alexis was strong and tough, which was required in her line of work but at the same time, she had a soft side.

In the past few days something else had started stirring between them. Meg found herself wishing for Alexis to join wherever she was and it made her nervous. It wasn’t love, that she knew for sure. At this point in time, she still couldn’t imagine her heart belonging to anyone else but the man that had left her back on earth. That, however, didn’t stop her from searching for ways to end her pining and misery.

In the end, Meg shouldn’t have been surprised that it happened. One evening, after Harvest week, they’d stumbled through town, singing and laughing. Meg’s head buzzed from the copious amounts of wine she’d consumed. There had been a dare and some comment about women not handling alcohol well and of course she’d had to show the man how wrong he was.

Needless to say, the evening had derailed from that point. Alexis had partaken in a knife throwing contest and nearly carved out the hosts’ dinner table, taught Meg some of the local songs and indulged in arm wrestling. Now, they were trying to get home to sober up. 

‘I’ll never get up those stairs,’ Meg slurred, staring at the entrance to her home. The previous week, Althea had claimed to be tired of Meg squatting in her villa and through a deal with one of the carpenters, managed to get Meg a two story house in the outskirts of town.

It was definitely a fixer upper and the previous owner had died of old age, making others skeptical of moving in, but Meg was thankful to have a place of her own. She paid her respects by stopping by to supply Althea with freshly caught fish every week, beside the usual rent. Now, though it did seem that having a small flight of stairs from the streets to her home would pose a problem. 

Alexis simply scooped Meg up in her arms and started wobbling up the stairs. Meg, in her drunk state, remembered the last times she’d been carried like this and had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from telling Alexis about him. 

She giggled (seriously, since when did she giggle?) when Alexis put her down but, somehow in her drunken haze, decided to put a bit of space between them before she started to uncover all the things she kept close to herself.

She turned around to meet her friend's mysterious eyes. Alexis really was attractive, Meg thought drunkenly. She’d wondered for weeks now what it would feel like to have Alexis’s lips and teeth graze her neck. Different scenarios played in her mind and she knew what she just needed to do.

Unfiltered, they stared at each other, the current running between them once more. Meg wobbled on the spot, but decided to act and, before she had time to overthink it, closed the distance and wrapped her slender arms around Alexis's broad neck. She drew in a startled breath, making Meg's insides squirm and daring her to press closer. There was no hard armor in between them now, only soft tunics separating them. Her breathing was shallow, fast. Their first kiss was anticipated, yet it still felt like a surprise when Alexis carefully bit Meg's lower lip, pulling her in and deepening the kiss.

Her skin smelled of wine and sea breeze, leather and steel. Hands that felt like they'd practiced this before dragged through her hair, making her scalp tingle. Meg’s hands traveled down her back, nails scratching against her warm skin, elliciting groans from Alexis. And it felt so good to be this close to someone, to feel body heat and affection again. 

Meg sighed into the kiss, thankful to feel her mind shutting up for a while. She was lifted off the floor again and gently but firmly pushed up against a wall. A breathless moan escaped her lips when she felt a light scrape of teeth on her neck.

They kept kissing and touching until Meg gasped, having nearly said the wrong name out loud. Instead of olive skin and dark hair, she’d imagined freckles and strawberry blonde hair tickling her face. She froze in place and Alexis soon reacted by pulling away to look into her eyes.

‘What’s wrong, love?’ she asked worriedly. Meg kept her eyes closed, breathing heavily.

‘This is a real bad idea,’ she murmured, quite sober now. ‘I can’t do this to you.' 

AlexislAlexis go of her, and when her feet touched the floor, Meg dared to look up at her.

‘What do you mean?’ Alexis asked. Meg looked at her. Really looked. This woman was so sweet, so resourceful and gorgeous. In another lifetime, she might have been perfect for her. Had she not worked for Hades. Had she not met...

Meg took a deep breath. ‘I really do want this,’ she assured her, ‘But I’m afraid the truth is I …’ she hesitated. Alexis’ eyes were wide. ‘ I’m in love with someone else.’ 

Alexis frowned, a look of confusion where Meg had expected anger or disappointment.

‘With who?’ she asked.

‘It’s, he’s…’ Meg stammered. ‘We’re not together. Anymore. He, well, he…’ What was she going to say? She couldn’t tell her who he was, or what he looked like. She searched for the right words, but Alexis cut her off, a soft hand on her arm.

‘That’s awful,’ she said kindly. ‘It sucks to be unhappily in love.’

‘Ugh, tell me about it,’ Meg sat herself down on her bed, heart racing. 

She didn’t usually allow herself this amount of self pity. But the face of him was fresh in her mind now. She was so angry with herself for not letting him go. It wasn’t fair.

She’d been granted her freedom, she should be happy, celebrating, traveling, anything but sit alone in another person’s house and crying about a man she’d never really had. Now she’d also hurt her only friend in this place. Deep in her own thought, Meg didn’t realize that Alexis had sat down next to her, an arm around her shoulders.

‘I know how you feel,’ she offered, ‘Well, sort of. I’m honestly afraid I might never get over the woman I love.’ This comforted Meg at least a little. ‘Not with you though,’ Alexis added. ‘So you don’t get any ideas.’ Alexis nudged her side and stuck out her tongue, which made Meg laugh. 

‘So the both of us are sad and alone, then?’ Meg concluded. 

‘Well, for now anyway,’ Alexis conceded.

‘Would you mind staying the night anyway? We could just talk or, y’know, sleep.’ Meg asked, feeling the warmth of Alexis’ arm. Her friend nodded. 

They ended up falling asleep almost as soon as their heads touched the bed, and woke up tangled in each other. As time passed, they made a habit of sleeping together every week, sometimes just sleeping and sometimes finding comfort in the arms of the other. Meg wasn’t sure what they were, but she did find that she enjoyed Alexis’s company far more.


	4. The attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you wondering when Hercules will turn up, do not worry! He'll make his first appearance very soon...

**Eight months later**

There was a giant dog in her home. The creature wouldn’t stop running around in this room that was too small for its size. This never would’ve happened, had Alexis not dumped her the night before. 

***

The strange thing about sex was that it was so easy to just fall into some sort of habit of just… having it. On a regular basis. Every week, when Alexis came back from hatever she'd been up to, and they'd eat dinner, sometimes ending with them falling asleep and a lot of times they’d find comfort in each other’s arms.

Meg always enjoyed these nights, her heart racing each time she’d walk up the stairs to her room. Alexis had this energy about her that made everything seem like it was going to be ok, and that drew Meg in like a moth to a flame.

The next morning however, the excitement would wear off and she’d be left with a hollow feeling in her chest.

‘We should talk,’ Alexis said as Meg wrapped her arms around her waist, having longed for her touch all day. 

‘Can’t it wait until I’m done with you?’ Meg purred, though she knew the implication of Alexis’s words and let go. In truth, she’d been awaiting this conversation for a while. 

‘Oh I know, I- I’m so sorry,’ Alexis blabbered, seeing the look on Meg’s face. ‘You know what’s coming, don’t you?’ Meg sighed, nodding. 

‘Yeah, I know a breakup when I hear it,’ she answered. Alexis tried to catch her eye, but she resolutely stared at her breast plate. It was one thing to expect a breakup and a whole other to actually be broken up with. ‘I get it, just get on with whatever you wanna say’.

‘Oh come on,’ Alexis sighed. ‘You know it’s not--’

‘It’s not me, it’s you?’ Meg finished the sentence, a taste of bitterness on her tongue. She wasn’t being fair and she knew it, but their nights had been what had kept her going for the rest of the week’s nightmares and sleepless nights. 

‘Meg, come on!’ Alexis snapped, lifting Meg’s chin up to look her in the eye. ‘You know it’s not like that! We’ve - We both agreed to keep it casual, to let our friendship be more important than anything and…’ She sniffed, ‘All I can think of is that I’m wasting my best friend. I just don’t want to risk our friendship.’ she added when she saw the look on Meg’s face. 

Meg understood. She really did, in an outsider-perspective-sort of way. Of course she’d thought the same, worrying that she was throwing away her first potential friend in years. Right in that moment, though, she just wanted to be petty. 

'Fine. I just wish you'd figured that out a little earlier. I'm not sure it's salvagable anymore.' Meg eventually said. Alexis searched her face, worry in her eyes. Meg knew she was being unfair, and mean, and immature, but damn it she was upset. With a curt nod, she walked out the house in what hopefully was a graceful manner.

The next morning, Meg wanted to keep away from the mercenary as much as possible. Pretending to catch a cold, she got Gregor to shoo her away from the docks and let her sit in her house to mull over the breakup. By noon, however, she found herself bored and crawling up the walls. throwing on a woolen scarf, because the weather was still crisp and chilly, she made her way downtown to the now renovated market district. 

On her way she met Agathe, a middle aged woman with greying chestnut hair, who waved her over and begged her for help. Well, begged was an overstatement, as Agathe would never _ever_ beg. But despite her cool nature, it was clear that she was in desperate need for assistance. Glad for the distraction, Meg followed her to the woods on the south-east of town. She’d never been there and wasn’t too fond of forests, but luckily they were only in the outskirts. 

A giant, brown-speckled dog lay on the ground, its back paw held tight in the grip of what Meg assumed would be a snare for rabbits. It growled as the pair drew closer, showing its teeth. The town hunters were there, scratching their necks awkwardly as a young girl bawled her eyes out at the sight of it. Meg looked baffled at Agathe.

‘This is what you needed help with?’ Why Meg was there, she didn’t know because she hadn’t killed an animal like this in all of her life. Agathe sighed.

‘We thought of killing it, maybe use the bone for soup though she is too skinny for any good meat but,’ she jabbed her thumb over her shoulder towards the weeping girl, ‘That brat won’t stop crying about it. She thinks it’s someone’s pet, though we’ve only seen her last week when she was sniffing out our storage rooms.’

‘And…’ Meg paused. ‘What am I supposed to do?’ This gave Agathe pause, since Meg had become known for being the go-to gal for any kind of help in town. Meg was not in a good mood this day, though. ‘Haven’t you heard I’m terrible with animals?’

‘I don’t need you to befriend the damned beast, I need you to distract it so we can release it.’ she muttered, as if the dog would understand what she was saying. 

And so Meg squatted down next to a feral dog, waving an ibex leg in front of its face. The others were closing in on it, ready with a bag to cover its head. Meg never understood the fascination about animals, but she tried to imagine herself in this situation. Scared, hungry and in pain. The dog was almost in an open field, sparse trees on one side and a human settlement on the other. 

‘I know, I know,’ she cooed at its growling face, sounding like an idiot. ‘It’s okay, we’ll get you out of here, you’re gonna get up and run again soon.’ The dog sniffed the air, growling stopped. It seemed to have forgotten the others and listened intently to Meg’s voice. That’s at least what Meg imagined. 

When she was close enough to touch the dog, the others put the sack over its head and started to work on the snare. It thrashed violently and Meg found a pang of unease at the animal’s distress. The hunters knew what they were doing and soon had released the dog from the snare, but still holding on to the sack.

‘Now,’ Agathe called to Meg, ‘When I release it, you have to throw the meat this way. Hopefully it doesn’t attack us, but if it does--’

‘We run, I guess?’

Agathe nodded, then changed her grip on the dog, before swiftly pulling off the sack and backing away. Meg swung her arm and the meat landed a few yards into the woods. The beast scrambled onto its feet and ran off. The hunters let out a huge sigh of relief and the young girl hugged them all. Meg got the last hug and awkwardly patted her on the back. She couldn’t stop staring at the dog.

**

In the evening, Meg found the thing sitting outside her house. It wagged its tail cautiously.

Meg, who was shaken from her own thoughts, briefly wondered if she needed to climb up a tree before it tore her to pieces. It didn’t seem aggressive though. More like…. Was it trying to play with her? It trotted up to her and leaned its giant front paws on her chest, close enough so that she could smell its dog breath, and licked her face.

‘Ugh, do all dogs smell like you?’ Meg groaned, shoving it back down. It barked excitedly, its tail wagging so furiously now that the entire lower body joined in. 

Meg tried to get it to stay outside her entrance, but it just stared at her through her window. After it tried to jump through it, Meg decided she might just yet get some sleep if she just let the damn thing in. 

Pleased with this change, the dog ran across the bottom floor and upstairs to where her bed was, back down again and started to sniff every single nook and cranny of Meg’s home.

‘Jeez, will you--’ Meg tried, chasing after it, which it seemed to take as an invite for play. ‘Just. Calm. Down!’

It would be hours before the dog did calm down and finally agreed to lie down on the mat downstairs. It whined for a few minutes until everything finally quieted down. Meg released a heavy sigh as she lay in her bed, closing her eyes and begging for Morpheus to come quickly.

These two days might have felt like they had turned her life upside down, but they were nothing compared to what was approaching as she closed her eyes and let sleep take her.

**

Meg awoke with a start in the middle of the night, a cold sweat running down her brow. She lay perfectly still, her breathing harsch, and listened. The house was quiet. Outside, she could hear the waves crashing onto the shore.

The sky was clear, a faint glow of the moon streaming through the single window where she slept. The dog had moved from the mat to her bed, nearly pushing her off the mattress. Maybe that had been what had woken her up. She pushed it, first lightly, but when it didn’t even seem to notice, she tried to shove it off. It woke up, staring at her with those big, dark eyes, looking like she’d just committed a serious crime against it. She rolled her eyes and was about to invite it back to the foot of her bed, when its ears perked up, head turned to the window. 

‘Are you gonna run around again, because I’m barely awa--’ Meg didn’t finish because the dog had started to growl, low and threatening. It didn’t seem to mean aggression towards her, more like a warning. It slowly walked towards the window, still growling.

Meg rose carefully from her bed and approached the window to open the wooden shutters, her heart racing. She was definitely awake now. She peered carefully out the window.

The dog was moving anxiously away from the window. 

‘What is going on with you?’ She asked as if it would answer, but then she saw it.

Closing in on their shores were three large ships, typical for war, with soldiers armed to their teeth. They moved quietly through the water, andn when she squinted she could make out people on them. 

‘Shit. Fuck. Shit,’ she swore, suddenly acutely aware that she had no weapons, no armor and she was way too far away from the rest of town to make it there to warn them, before the invaders would have everything in flames. 

What was she going to do? She’d met armies of monsters, strange creatures, even misogynistic centaurs, but regular men? There were few things that scared her more. 

She tried to hush and comfort the dog, who’d either recognized the ships or maybe was just anxious to get out of the house. It was hard to tell. 

‘Shh, don’t worry,’ she whispered, petting its head with both of her hands. The dog looked scared, but it might have been her imagination. 

She needed to warn everyone. If Alexis were here they could have gone out together and Meg wouldn’t be so vulnerable. She looked around her home. Maybe there would be something lying around that she could use as weapon.

Before she had time to look, a sound made adrenalin shoot through her, her hands shaking. There were men’s voices outside her home, low and secretive. The dull ‘clank’ of weapons. They had people invading on foot as well. 

A normal, decent greek citizen would now turn to pray to the gods. Meg thought of Gregor, begging Poseidon for calm waters and stormless nights at sea. She scoffed at the thought. The gods didn't interfere when she had begged her parents to spare her brother. They didn't seem to care that people were starving in villages where towns like hers weren't close enough to provide them with food. There was literally no god that she’d put her faith in….

Except.

Maybe there was one. Meg didn’t know whether he had been proclaimed a god to pray to. This town was too far off the big cities to care for the newest gods. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t listen.

Meg slid quietly down on her knees and held out her arms to the sky, the way people called for the gods. Outside, the voices grew fainter. She thought of what she was going to say. 

‘Oh mighty…’ She faltered. It sounded so stupid. All she could see before her eyes was the boy who’d tripped over his own feet on his way to rescue her from Nessus. To think he was an actual god. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the man she missed so much. Maybe he would sense her, hear her even.

‘Hey Wonderboy,’ she whispered, afraid her voice might give in. ‘It’s me. Please, please listen to this prayer.’ She felt the beginning of tears stinging her eyes. ‘My home is under attack. We have very few means of defense and I am unarmed. We’re in dire need of a hero. We need you. Please hear me. Save us.’ A current ran through her at the thought of seeing him again. His red hair, those ridiculous muscles. His cute, awkward laugh. She smiled as she opened her eyes.

She didn’t know what she expected, but when she looked around and nothing had changed, her heart sank. Maybe he _was_ lost to the human world.

Meg could hear the soldiers outside her front door and she shied away from the window now. Would they try to break in? Pressed against the wall, she waited and listened. 

Someone was trying to get in through the door. They swore and Meg decided that anything would be useful as a weapon now. She picked up a large stick that the dog had carried inside and held it like a heavy sword. Downstairs, the door was quiet, but before she could react, someone swung through her window, silent like a cat. Meg raised her stick and was ready to aim for the eyes when…

‘Meg? What are you doing?’ Alexis hissed. Meg saw the glint in her eyes, despite the darkness. ‘There are people attacking us, did you see?’ 

‘No, I just figured I’d practice some sparring with my new weapon here,’ Meg answered sarcastically. Their argument the previous day still fresh in her mind. She put the stick back down on the floor. ‘Can we reach Sosthenes and the others?’ Alexis shook her head.

'I think it might be too late for that. I saw the soldiers beginning to round people up. It seems they're supposed to be hostages? I'm not sure,' Alexis mused. Meg's blood went cold. She'd heard of town takeovers where the soldiers simply set fire to every villager in the square. That had only happened once or twice, though. She shuddered. 

'What can we do then? What about when they come here?'

Alexis smirked. ‘I might have a plan. Put some proper clothes on.’

The armed men walking down the street realized they'd forgotten one house. It was on the outskirts and it's door hadn't been ripped open yet.

‘I’ll go first,’ one of them said and took the lead as they readied themselves to burst through the door. The house was almost pitch black without a torch to light it up. Before the soldiers had managed to adjust their sights, they were knocked down to the ground by something. Their heads hit the ground and they were out cold. 

Alexis had used the broad side of her sword to knock them out. It all happened so fast that Meg had barely had time to raise her ridiculous stick before it was over. She stared at her. Alexis shrugged, a smug smile creeping onto her face.

‘I’m a mercenary, remember? These are hardly the toughest opponents I’ve met.’ 

They bent down to search the soldiers, removing any potential weapon from their reach.

‘Feels like too big an invasion to be bandits,’ Alexis murmured. Meg hummed in agreement and lifted the heavy shield from one of the men. It was a typical shield, round and painted blue, a strangely familiar crest etched onto the middle. 

‘Their crests might show us where they come from. I think I might recognize the spartan--’ Alexis stopped talking when she saw the look on Meg’s face. She gingerly touched the outline of the shield’s symbol, her eyes seemed to glaze over, as if remembering something. A moment passed, the soldiers still dead to the world, and Meg looked up at Alexis, terror in her eyes. 

‘I know who these men belong to.’ she said, voice shaking. ‘Do you trust me?’

It was at the time when the ships had docked and the soldiers marched for the town square that the last of their men returned to the docks. The captain looked over at the people gathered before him, tired and confused. The late soldiers came closer, their stances way off. They would have to do some more training after this. 

Meg and Alexis, who'd stolen the men's armor and tried their best to find a comfortable way to stand with clothing that was at least two sizes too big, released a breath of relief seeing their friends still alive. Alexis looked back at Meg questioningly. Meg was eyeing the captain, and beneath the large helmet that threatened to topple off her head, she was frowning.

'What is going on?' Althea demanded and Meg wanted to smile at the woman's presence. The captain came forward, his voice booming. 

'You have the princess of Thebes among you. Present her to us and walk away, unharmed,' he called. This made Althea laugh in derision. 

'Do any of us look like we'd hide royalty here?' she sneered, provoking a soldier to shout demeaning words at her. A raised hand from the captain shut him up. Meg made a memo to get that soldier fired. He continued,

'If you refuse to supply us with the princess, we'll have to take action, on orders of the king of Thebes.'

'What makes you so sure she's here?' A man piped up.

'The king has eyes and ears everywhere. If you don't give her up now, we will burn down your houses and you will be excecuted.' The air was electric, tension building between everyone involved. 

So she couldn't hide anymore. With that realization, Meg lifted the helmet off her head and stepped between the citizens and the army. There was a collective gasp coming from both sides at she let her hair out, revealing herself. The soldiers roared, but Meg focused on catching the captain's eye.

‘I’ve come to parley,’ Meg called. ‘Put down your weapons and let’s talk.’ _Please recognize me_ , she silently pleaded. If they did, her home would be fine. If they didn’t, well… At least she would go down quickly.

The men stared at each other in confusion, whispers running through, as the captain closed the distance, eyes wide in recognition. 

Meg, who’d not only aged beyond adolescence but also had developed scars and bruises over the years, stared at the captain, her head held high. The captain unsheathed his sword and closed the distance between them. _He’s aged_ , Meg thought as he buried the tip of his sword into the ground before her and lowered himself to one knee.

‘Princess Megara,’ he breathed. ‘We’ve finally found you.’ The soldiers whispered even louder now and the people behind her began to protest wildly. 

‘Captain,’ She demanded. ‘What is the meaning of this? You come here in the middle of the night, like a pack of thieves, for what?’ Her legs had turned to mush now that she’d confirmed what she had suspected. ‘All this for me?’ The captain stood back up, his hand on his chest. 

‘My lady, the king has heard the rumours of you. We’ve been told to look for you, for those people who keep you captive.’ 

‘I am not a captive, captain. This is my home and I have no intention of turning back to the king’s side.’ 

‘You do not know what is going on, my lady,’ he said apologetically. ‘The king fears his end is near and wishes to be reconciled with his child. His only child,’ he added. Meg felt the beginning of fury rising in her chest. For years of her adolescence, she’d endured her father’s manipulative ways, his rash decisions that put her family at risk. She’d refuse to take the bait again.

‘This is my final word, captain, and you may inform your king of this.’ She pronounced every word with a bite in her voice. White hot anger filled her. ‘If the king wants me to come to him, he’ll have to get me himself. I refuse to be treated in this fashion, invaded and threatened by his lackeys and brutes. Unless he agrees to come here in peace, I won’t hear a word of what he says.’ 

For a long moment she seemed to have a staring competition with the captain. He finally broke her gaze and bowed to her. She had to give it to him. He was exceptionally good at following orders, no matter how infuriating his bosses may be. Meg nodded her head in return. 

‘As you wish, my lady,’ the captain agreed. He turned around and called for a retreat, much to the soldiers’ chagrin. A man at the biggest ship blew a deafening horn that made her reflexively cover her ears. The soldiers slumped back and walked to the ships. They’d been ready for a fight all night and had to go back all the way to Thebes. The captain took one last look at Meg. 

‘It’s good to see you again, my lady. The years have treated you well, it seems,’ he added and Meg knew a white lie when she heard one, but appreciated his olive branch. Truth was, he’d been his favorite soldier back home.

‘May Poseidon give you a smooth way home’ she answered.

The sun was rising when Meg dared to look behind her. This was another secret that she had hoped to never reveal. Her father had as good as disowned her years ago and she had decided to completely put that life behind her.

‘What just happened!?’ Althea demanded, panic in her voice. ‘There were men in my garden breaking in! What did they mean about the princess?’

'They meant Meg,' Alexis confirmed and Meg saw the collective reaction of the people in the square. Some simply stared at her, hands covering their mouths while others, like Gregor, fell down on their knees in prostration. Meg walked up to them, taking Gregor's hand and making him get back up on his feet.

'Guys, I'm only princess by name,' Meg said. 'I have no real claim on any throne. My father announced years ago that I was dead to the family. Please,' she raised her hand before Alexis tried to comment about how awful that was, 'It's fine. But I'm...' She looked around herself. The houses, the ships. The people. They had been in serious danger because of her. 'I am so sorry. If I'd known he'd do this, I'd left months ago. I'll pack up my things and leave.' She crossed her arms over her chest in protection, which was made considerably diffult by the uncomfortable armor.

Gregor looked back at Althea, then turned to Meg and smiled. 

'Don't be ridiculous, woman!' He said. 'We wouldn't have come this far, had it not been for you!' Meg highly doubted that, but his sentiment still warmed her.

'Come on,' Alexis said, a strong arm around her shoulder. 'You really think we're gonna send you away because your dad's a dick?'

While the other workers had begun their workday, Meg and her closest companions were gathered in Althea’s villa, sitting at her dinner table. Meg, who’d come down from her adrenaline rush and now just felt cold, was wrapped in a blanket and sat by the fire. The dog had found its way out of the house and came bustling in through the entrance door. Most of the people inside shrieked and leapt to their feet when it charged at Meg, but lowered their arms when it started to lick her face. 

‘All right, all right,’ Meg chuckled, pushing the beast off of her. Before anyone could ask, the name for the dog just presented itself in her mind. ‘Everyone, I’ve seen to have become a pet owner. Say hello to Zoe.’ It was an odd name, meaning 'life', but she thought it fitting.

People’s voices were more energetic now and Althea decided to throw together a meal for everyone. The sun was up, after all. Meg’s friends were happy to be safe and, instead of questioning her, patted her on the back and thanked her. 

'Good to see you two have made up,' Sosthenes grumbled. 'Maybe stop having a cold and come back to work?' This earned him huffs of laughter from the people at the table and Meg rolled her eyes fondly. A wave of relief rushed over her and she was about to sit down for a jug of watered down wine when there was a commotion outside.

The workers in the market were chattering in loud whispers. There was the sound of hoofsteps and a woman speaking. Meg turned from where she’d sat in Alexis’ lap and her heart nearly stopped.

A beautiful woman stepped through the house. She looked like she’d been carved from marble by the most skillful artists in Greece. Her black hair was a cloud of tightly coiled curls that framed her beautiful face, painted with gold on her eyelids. The dress was made of a fine fabric that Meg had only seen on rare royal festivities.

As she entered Althea’s home, a large man came up behind her. Though his skin glowed and turned his hair blond, his face now covered by the beginning of a beard, she’d recognize him anywhere.

It was Hercules.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want you readers to know that I'm not trying to slutshame anyone with a friends-with-benefits relationship or those who have one night stands. Some people actually will find it easier to move on from a heartbreak by rebounding. That being said, I wanted Meg to have this storyline.


	5. The reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter that will be followed by longer ones.

There was a split second of everyone staring at the couple that walked through the door.

‘Meg!’ Hercules blurted out, obviously shocked to see her there. 

‘Calliope!’ Alexis exclaimed behind Meg, causing the stranger to turn her eyes in their direction.

‘Alexis?’ The woman asked softly.

‘That’s Hercules!’ Gregor shouted, rising from the table and pointing excitedly. ‘I saw him on the tapestries, the ones that haggler Lydos showed me!’ This earned him roars from the men at the table.

‘Wonderboy,’ Meg said softly, barely audible. 

‘ _ You’re Calliope?’  _ Althea hissed, narrowing her eyes at the newcomers. ‘The same Calliope that nearly got Alexis beheaded?’ 

‘Woa, hold up!’ The woman, Calliope, answered, hands up in front of herself.

Althea stalked towards the woman, that instantly seemed to shrink where she stood. This caused Alexis to stand up straight from her seat, which meant that Meg landed on her knees on the dirty floor. In a matter of seconds, the loud but familiar celebration turned into complete chaos. Meg heard people from the markets calling, ‘He’s here? Really?  _ The  _ Hercules?!’ as she crawled out of harm’s way. The merchants outside pressed through Althea’s open door to catch a peek.

Alexis had to restrain Althea from shoving a vase on Calliope’s head. Zoe barked loudly, but seemed mostly confused as to why the humans suddenly started to play with each other. There was definitely some unfinished business going on with Calliope and Alexis, though Meg didn’t know whether Althea had meant ‘beheaded’ in a literal sense. In any case, this was not a brawl she was keen to engage in, and she swiftly moved towards the back door that led to Althea’s garden. The herbs and roots were protected by a fence that she managed to squeeze through.. 

She brushed off her dress and adjusted her shoulder strap, thinking of making a swift exit. That was the moment she noticed that someone else had fled the scene.

Out of earshot of the shrieking and vase-breaking, he’d come to rest his head against the the wall of a stable. He closed his eyes and she could see his chest expanding, as if forcing himself to breathe slowly. It was strange to see him in his godly form - All those months she’d been imagining pale skin, red hair and blue eyes. This  _ god _ … He looked like a stranger. More grown up, or maybe that was the beard. It was a good beard. Suited him. She wondered how it would look in his natural hair color. 

She needed to stop staring at him before he noticed her doing the staring. Placing herself in what hopefully was a graceful pose leaned against the stable entrance, she crossed her arms.

‘Of all the villas in all the towns in all the world, and he walks into mine,’ She said wistfully. It wasn’t technically true but she thought it had a nice ring to it. Her words startled him, making him almost jump in shock. Maybe he hadn’t changed all that much. She couldn’t help but smile. ‘Seems divinity has served you well.’

‘Meg, you’ve-’ he paused, looking like she’d sprouted an extra arm. ‘You look so… different?’ he finished, twisting his hands nervously. Meg didn’t know what to answer. Of course she was different. Everything was different.

‘So do you.’ She said. ‘The beard is a nice touch.’ That rewarded her with a shy smile, his hand unconsciously touching his chin. ‘So what brings the almighty Hercules to our humble neighborhood?’ 

‘I um. I-I heard that you - That is, the town, needed help.’

‘Oh,’ Meg breathed. Did that mean he’d heard  _ her _ ? She wanted to ask but something made her stop. It felt too revealing to mention that she’d spoken to him in her prayers because, what if it hadn’t been her voice?

‘Well I came down, of course,’ Hercules explained, ‘But we flew right into a blizzard on our way here and somehow we landed in another village. I didn’t have any direction anymore and we just had to… look everywhere.’ He shrugged. ‘Then I noticed the fleet sailing away from land and assumed it had to be here. You  _ did  _ need help, right?’ He added, sounding suddenly very young and very unsure of himself. 

Meg felt a laugh fighting to escape her throat, as she confirmed it. 

‘We solved the problem, but yeah.’ She remembered with a chill down her spine the woman who’d accompanied him. The conversation stopped being just the two of them, the presence of this stranger intruding upon them.

‘So who is the gorgeous lady you’ve brought, then?’ she asked, trying and failing to keep the bitterness out of her voice. ‘Olympians playing matchmaker in the sky?’

At this, she could see Hercules’ jaws clench, a steely look that she’d only seen one time before and hated.

‘Why would you think that?’ He asked, and she didn’t imagine the hurt in his eyes. ‘You think I’d just pick the first woman I met since…’ his voice trailed off.

‘I just meant, if you’ve found someone...’ she began, though she didn’t know what she wanted to say. He had all rights to look for someone else. But the thought of him in the arms of someone who wasn’t her made her insides turn. 

‘Of-of course I haven’t. She was just a traveller that I escorted here. I don’t know her.’

‘Oh.’

‘So um.’ Hercules hesitated. ‘I guess everything’s in order, then?’

‘Yeah,’ Meg breathed.  _ Please don’t go again. I don’t want to wait another year for you.  _ ‘Time to fly back home again?’ It seemed that he wanted to say something, to ask about something. 

‘I guess.’ Hercules conceded.

Unable to figure out anything else to say, Meg nodded and walked out of the stables. Everything screamed for her to turn back and beg him to stay. But she didn’t know what to say and so she walked back home, ignoring everyone at Althea’s and turning to the docks.

The soldiers who’d been stripped and knocked out woke up hours later, confused and scared. They looked to the horizon and found that their fellow soldiers had forgotten them. Humiliated, they snuck out of the house and tore down the road, back the way they came, hoping no one would find out what had happened.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter from Herc's POV because I feel like some explanation is needed. This doesn't bring forward the plot so much as answers a few questions about what he's been up to. If delayed gratification is more of your thing, feel free to skip this one.

There was something wrong with him. Something which he couldn’t put his finger on. He’d assumed becoming a god would be overwhelming and different from his life as a human, but nothing could have prepared him for whatever he was feeling at this moment.  He confusingly couldn’t quite remember what he’d been doing before he became a god. His memories turned fuzzy and noncoherent. 

The ridiculously extravagant party was coming down from its high. Aphrodite and Ares stumbled from the dancefloor and the only one left dancing was Dionysus shaking his goods. Longing for solitude, he walked out of the giant dome shaped entertainment hall and stopped short. He must have been given a place to stay, right? Had his father mentioned it? Unsure of what to do, he called for Hermes, who’d been helping Apollo get back to his quarters. The little blue god appeared next to him, his purple-stained glasses crooked on his nose.

‘Well, if it isn’t the hero of the hour,’ he slurred and twirled his golden staff. ‘What can I do for you, my man?’

‘I’m not sure where I’m supposed to rest?’ Hercules tried, and Hermes laughed. 

‘Couldya imagine that? Everyone’s too ready to get jiggy with it, we forgot all about it! Well not to worry, muscle man,’ Hermes hiccuped and put a hand on his shoulder.

When Hermes finally showed Hercules to his room, his breath caught in his throat. 

A bed large enough to fill his entire childhood home faced the far wall, four posters reaching up to the high ceiling with translucent curtains gently draping around them. A gentle fire lit up at the snap of Hermes’ fingers. Hercules turned around.

‘Is this really mine?’ He asked, incredulous. Hermes confirmed it, chuckled and began to make his way back. The room was even fancier than the bedroom he’d had in his villa. His villa. Something made the wheels in his brain turn. 

‘Wait,’ he said and Hermes looked back at him. ‘What’s happened to Meg?’ A desperate urge to see her emerged from the hidden corners of his mind. Hermes hesitated, then said,

‘She went back home, I guess she wanted you to lead the best life possible now that you’re an actual divine being’. He hurried off after that and Hercules suspected that he wasn’t telling him the whole truth. 

The next day Hercules ventured down the hall of the central building. The center of Olympus was rested on a giant cloud and stretched miles in each direction. There were pavilions, long halls and courtyards, a beautiful garden where Demeter and her daughter Persephone lived. The god Hercules was looking for was waiting for him in the courtroom, where the other gods had already sat down. Being the last person who’d arrived, he apologized quietly and sat down next to Athena. Zeus had asked him this morning if he wanted to be present for the ruling of Hades’ punishment. He’d said that of course he wanted to be there, though he wasn’t entirely sure why it was an issue in the first place.

There was an air of tension in the room. Ares was dramatically polishing his scythe and his father looked furious. 

‘Bring him in!’ Zeus demanded, his voice booming. Guards brought Hades forward, spears pointed at him as he walked, well, slid, across the floor. So they’d got him out of the river, Hercules thought and found that he remembered why he was here. Anger throbbed in his chest, reminding him of that god touching her, humiliating her. Nearly killing her for good, purely out of spite. 

His fists clenched on the arms of his chair as Hades took a seat down by the dais on which Zeus was seated. His cruel face looked cocky and superior, yet the orange-tinged fire spitting from his neck down to his arms gave away his frustration. Hades must be just as furious as himself, Hercules guessed.

Zeus glared at his brother, called for Hermes to document everything and began to list the crimes that Hades had committed. For some reason the devastation of Thebes wasn’t anywhere in there. Nor was Meg’s death. Hercules was briefly mentioned, his kidnapping on top of the list. Hades rolled his eyes and tried to sway the other gods, proclaiming this was all a bit of fun, why would he want to take over and wasn’t it nepotism for the chief to keep his son amongst the jury? 

Zeus grew impatient and roared at him to shut his mouth before continuing to question him. The other gods were whispering amongst themselves and Zeus and Hades grew agitated with each other. It all seemed more like a serious family squabble and less like an actual hearing. 

‘You robbed my son of his youth, his family, and--’ Zeus began, but Hades cut him off. 

‘Yeah how anyone could survive the horror of living so far away from your bristly mustache is beyond me,’ He snarled and continued, ‘And what about Wonderbreath, he gonna say anything at all or just keep burning holes in my head with his eyes?’ At that, he turned his head around and focused his yellow eyes on him. Hercules felt a chill down his spine. ‘Why don’t you just ask me why I used your little chicky-poo against you? Wanna know what she’s whispered back in my ear all those months?’ 

They stared at each other. The hall was quiet. Hercules swallowed, his mouth dry. Then he asked the question he’d been dying to know the answer to. 

‘Why was she with you?’ He was thankful that his voice hadn’t sounded nearly as nervous as he felt. Hades’ lips curled into a mean smile. At first it seemed that he wouldn’t answer, but then one of the guards poked him in his side and he started to talk. 

He told them of a young woman who’d lost the man she loved and was ready to give anything to have him back, how completely enamored she was and how devastatingly heartbroken she’d become once he’d left her. He seemed to put an awful lot of time into describing this man, how clever and smart he’d been, his affinity for olympic sports and just all the ways in which he was essentially better than Hercules. 

So in the end, there had been nothing Meg could’ve done to save him from the humiliation in the arena. She’d been forced to play her part and had been treated horribly by him, Hercules thought, shame burning on his cheeks. How had he not understood what had been going on?

Zeus cleared his throat and the hearing kept going, as if this new piece of information was secondary to everything else. Meanwhile, Hercules slumped back into his chair, closed his eyes and focused on breathing through the nose. 

Meg…

Eventually the gods were supposed to reach a verdict. No one would believe Hades was innocent but they had a small problem. They wanted him to be locked away for at least a hundred years, but that resulted in a dilemma - Because not a single god wanted to be the substitute god of the dead, living in the Underworld and not seeing clouds or sun. Besides, there was not unlimited ambrosia there. So how could they punish Hades while still keep him doing his job? 

In the end, they settled for a thousand years of house arrest. Hades would still do his job but was prohibited from leaving the Underworld and under no circumstances has he allowed to meddle with mortals. The gods would check in on him every so often, making sure the barrier that kept him from surfacing still held. 

Hercules thought a thousand years sounded like quite a lot, even for the crimes committed, until they exited the courtroom Athena reminded him of just how old the gods were. ‘He does these things every century or so, when it isn’t Poseidon or Zeus himself in the hot seat.’ 

‘Do  _ they  _ get house arrest?’ Hercules asked. 

‘Pff!’ Athena scoffed as if it was too ridiculous a question to even answer. 

That night, he couldn’t sleep. He lay on his back in the bed that was way too large for him. Outside he could hear birds and cicadas buzzing from the garden. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Hades had told him. What Athena had said. This was just another game to them, to all of them. Was this what he was going to turn into? A deity that had little care for humans and would nearly end the world just for attention? Apparently Hades hadn’t been the worst criminal in the gods’ history, yet the very fact that he resided in the Underworld made him less than, in the eyes of the olympians. It was infuriating to feel sympathy for Hades, and he turned to his side, determined to go to sleep. 

A whisper echoing in his bedroom woke him up. 

A woman’s voice was calling him. He wasn’t sure whether he could actually hear it or  _ feel  _ it. He shot out of the bed, head turning to all sides around him. Someone was talking to him, but he couldn’t see them. He threw on his light blue toga and tore out of the room. He followed the voice, walking through narrow corridors and open auditoriums until he landed in circular room, adorned by pillars and tapestries. He recognized every monster on each woven fabric. They were all creatures that he’d saved people from. In the middle of the chamber was what looked like a bird bath, vines of ivy winding around its leg. Where Hercules had expected to find water, he saw the image of a town, deep in the night. The voice sounded clearer and he finally understood what it said. 

_ Please, please help us. We need you. _

This was a room that kept prayers, a room specifically designed for him. He observed the vessel and listened to what else the prayer said. The town was under attack. They didn’t have any defense to speak of. 

He had to help them. The only problem was, he didn’t know how to get back down to earth. Behind him, Hermes zoomed into the room, looking confused.

‘Why didn’t any of you tell me about this room?’ Hercules asked.

‘Well, it didn’t exist before,’ Hermes said. ‘You only get these kinds of chambers when people actually start to worship you. I guess congrats are in order!’ He dunked his back enthusiastically.

‘They need help, Hermes.’ Hercules scratched his neck. ‘ I must get down there, but I-umm.. I don’t know…’ Hercules explained, feeling stupid. 

‘Umm, hate to point out the obvious,’ Hermes murmured, ‘but ya do have a flying horse, remember?’

A flying… Pegasus! He slapped his forehead, beyond frustrated with whatever his terrible memory was doing.

‘Of course! Thank you, Hermes!’ He patted the blue god’s arm energetically, nearly punching him out of the heavens, and pushed forward, excitement pulsing through him. He put to fingers between his lips and let out a piercing whistle. Out of thin air, his winged friend sailed down to where he stood. 

Pegasus landed but looked peeved as Hercules approached. He hadn’t been to see him in the past few days and the horse did  _ not  _ like being ignored. He turned around sharply in a typically dramatic fashion, his tail twitching.

‘I know, I know,’ Hercules said apologetically and stroked his mane. ‘I’m sorry, it’s just been a very busy day. I’ll make it up to you, promise!’ Pegasus snorted and lifted his chin in the air, too stubborn to accept the apology right away, but he was mostly being difficult on principle. ‘We’re going on a mission, buddy!’ Hercules continued, knowing full well that Pegasus was too adventurous to keep away from those. ‘There’s someone down there who needs our help. Are you in?’ At that, Pegasus perked up and Hercules knew he had him.

Before Hermes had any time to object to this abrupt departure, Hercules got up on Pegasus’s back and they were off to save people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay here's the thing. I. Can't. Write. for. Hades. English is not my first language and I don't really know how to write his dialogues without simply repeating his lines from the movie and tv series. Also I don't want to incorporate his slang because from what I gathered it's very problematic that the villain speaks in jewish slang. Therefore I simply made him tetchy and sarcastic. Apologies for deviating from the source material.  
> (Also his voice actor turned out to be a transphobic slug and I don't care for that shit at all)


	7. The fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 24th jan. I edited this chapter because I realized several flaws in it and so the dialogue and stuff are a bit different.

Meg waited at least a couple of hours inside the comforts of her bedroom, before daring to venture out again. It was strange to see someone she had thought about almost everyday. To have him be so close and yet...

She needed to know what had happened after she left. Standing up from the corner of the room, she threw her simple cloak on and walked out.

Back at Althea’s things had calmed down and the old woman was cleaning up the mess. Meg knocked on the door and let herself in.

‘You missed all the fun, girl,’ Althea complained. ‘This town has seen more action tonight than they’ve had in the past years put together.’

‘Where did they go?’ Meg asked, forcing a mildly curious expression on her face.

‘Oh, that conniving woman is staying at Lyko’s inn. And the hero I believe just left.' 

‘Oh.’

Some small part of her had hoped for a reunion, where he’d say the words she’d longed for him to say. Instead she had awkwardly accused him of having a girlfriend and then just left. 

‘Tell me about it,’ Althea agreed, completely oblivious to Meg’s inner turmoil. ‘She has the audacity, the gall, to stay after all the trouble she caused our Alexis!’ She dove into a rant about people not having decent manners. Meg interrupted.

‘He just left?’

‘Yeah, but he said he’d come back to protect us for a while.’ Althea waved her hand as if this information was completely uninteresting. ‘Something about making up for the protection he couldn’t offer last night.’

Meg was afraid that if she moved another inch, she’d fall over and never get up again. 

She had a chance to make things right. Somehow, it would all be alright.

When Meg finally came back to the docks she nearly choked on her own tongue. Lifting Sosthenes’ fishing boat out of the water and holding it in place for Sosthenes and Ianos to polish its underside was Wonderboy. They were scraping old sea tulips that had stuck to the wood. When they noticed her, the older men started to wave and Hercules looked up. Meg might have imagined his cheeks flushing.

‘We have help today.’ Sosthenes informed her, pointing his scraping tool towards Hercules holding his entire boat above him. 

‘You could have just _asked_ me if you needed help lifting it, Sosthenes,’ Meg eventually managed.

‘Hilarious,’ he answered, stone-faced. Meg looked back to Hercules and raised her eyebrows, doing her best to stay cool. He shook his shoulders sheepishly.

‘I- I decided I probably should stay to, you know, help--WOAH’ Hercules explained, scratching the back of his neck with one hand before almost losing his balance and tipping the boat back into the water. ‘Feels bad to leave when you just got attacked.’ He gave her a small smile and her insides twisted.

‘That’s very sweet of you.’ Gods, it was like staring into the sun. His cautious smile seemed even brighter than she remembered and her lips curled upwards on their own.

They kept working on the boat until it looked as good as new, and Wonderboy carefully lowered it down back in the water. Ianos let out a loud breath and swiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Meg eventually had to discard her cloak after all the scraping. 

Meg was painfully aware of every move he made and just how close they were. She tried to play it cool, which proved to be difficult. It didn’t help that she kept throwing glances at him and noticing his eyes turning away, as if he’d been caught staring. Somehow the fact that he was here made her notice just how different life was here.

When they had met the first time, she was convinced that people were bad enough from a distance and too unreliable to keep close. He had been a young boy, naïve and completely unaware of how the real world worked. Yet something had grown between them. Everything about him surprised her, from his clumsiness and the way he wore his heart on his sleeve, to the gentleness with which he had held her hands, the quiet resolve in his face when he'd know just what to do in a fight. 

The others seemed completely oblivious to her inner monologue and kept pestering him with questions. Zoe barked at everything and ran off, making them laugh. 

‘She is a brat,’ she chuckled and Sosthenes shook his head. 

‘speaking of,' Ianos chirped. 'Rumours have been spreading about your royal status.'

Meg groaned. 

'Should we start calling you princess now?' he teased. 'How about Your highness?'

 _How about you keep your mouth shut_ , Meg thought surly.

‘So, have you made up with your boy toy yet?’ She asked, hoping to derail the conversation away from herself. Ianos’ cheeks flushed and he shook his head.

‘He’s not been back from Corinth yet. I think he should just stay there,’ he added. ‘What about you and Alexis? You seemed back to normal last night.’

‘I really don't want to talk about it…’ she began, then stopped.

Hercules’ face snapped back to her, frowning. She tried to play it down and switched the subject to the boat.

'C'mon, you two have been nearly inseparable for months! I'm just curious.'

The tension didn't dissipate. Sosthenes eyed her, and she briefly wondered if the man usually was so quiet because he could read others’ minds. He suddenly stood up straight.

‘Ianos. Come with me to the warehouse, we should take stock of the shop.’

Ianos gave him a strange look, but stood up and walked with him, away from where Meg and Hercules were sitting.

The silence stretched out and Meg wanted to run away. Instead, she focused on emptying the buckets of corals and sea tulips into the water. She waited. It was still silent between them. Eventually he broke the silence, but his words were not what she'd expected.

'I-I didn't know this was where you worked,' he said, 'I mean, I just came here because they looked like they needed help and I thought I'd give them a hand.'

'You mean you're not stalking me, then?' Meg couldn't help but add. 'I get it. It's a small town after all.'

They kept working silently. It was growing awkward and Meg just wanted it all to be in the clear. 

‘So you’ve...’ Hercules cleared his throat. ‘Y-You have a…’ Meg turned to him and found him fiddling with his hands, ’...girlfriend?’

‘Well. Kind of.’ She answered. It wasn’t true, because she was pretty sure they were still broken up, but something petty inside wanted him to believe that. 

‘Since when?’

‘I don’t know, I haven't exactly counted the days.’

He seemed to count in his head, furrowing his brows. Looking miserable, he stood up, brushed off dust on his knees and seemed to pull himself together. 

‘Alright,’ he finally said. ‘I get it. I’m sorry for over staying my visit.’ Where was he going? Meg rose quickly, grabbing a hold of his wrist. His eyes were teary, despite the cold expression he seemed to force his face into. Confusion mixed with annoyance and forced her to lash out.

‘Wonderboy, sorry to burst your bubble but you can’t just saunter down here and expect me to sit here _waiting_ for you.’ Her pulse started ticking in her neck. ‘I have heard nothing from you, not about you or what’s happened to Hades.’ She omitted the part where she’d been lying awake at night, convinced that she was going to be forced back to the damp, cold caves of the Underworld. 

‘And I’m sorry for believing that I meant more to you than just... what was the words you used? A boy toy?’ he spat, but it sounded more like the beginning of a sob. 

That was it. Meg did not want this conversation to go on. He wasn’t scary, not aggressive, but it didn’t change the fact that his words were hurtful. 

‘If you really think that little of me,’ she said, choosing her words wisely as to not sink to his level, ‘Then I truly have nothing more to say to you.’ With that, she dropped the buckets, the rest of their contents spilling over the ground, and walked away in a brisk pace. 

She could hear him beginning to form words behind her but the ringing in her ears took over as she tried to stop the tears from overflowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for forcing you to read the words 'Boy toy' coming from Hercules's lips.


	8. The disaster

‘You wanna talk about what happened last night?’ Alexis asked Meg the next morning. Meg, who was on her way to the warehouse and did not in fact want to discuss the night before, tried to ignore her. Alexis, way faster than her, kept up her brisk walk and jogged up in front of her. Zoe, following at Meg’s heel, came to nip at Alexis’ tunic. ‘Come on, tell me!’ She had dark shadows under her eyes. 

‘Well, what do you want to know?’ Meg asked, testily. Though she missed her friend, she also hadn’t forgotten the fact that Alexis had dumped her the other day.

‘Like…’ Alexis pretended to mull it over. ‘Like, why you didn’t tell me your dad is the king of freakin’ Thebes?’

‘Because it’s none of your business?’ Meg answered but got a stern look in return. ‘Fine, because…’ She let out a frustrated sigh. ‘My father and I are not exactly on speaking terms. We have what you might call a strained relationship.’ Now _that_ was the understatement of the century. 

Alexis scanned her face and Meg felt the urge to simply beg for a hug. She was tired of conflict.

‘Okay, but does your father usually send a hundred men to get you home?.’ Alexis finally said. ‘And what about Hercules?’

‘What about _him_? What about your murderous friend?’ Meg retorted, ready to switch the subject. ‘Did she really try to behead you?’ That seemed to throw Alexis off.

‘No no, not literally. Her father did.’ she answered, matter-of-factly. ‘ I was a part of his guard that patrolled the city of Delphi.’ 

‘Seriously?’

‘Well, then he. Well, he… He found us in a… compromising situation. So to speak.’ She gestured awkwardly with her hands. ‘Let’s just say he wasn’t very happy about it.’

‘Oh.’ Was all Meg could muster.

‘Yeah,’ Alexis said. ‘Her father is a general. He needs her to marry the general in Athen’s guard. Apparently it is her destiny.’ She said in a mocking tone. 

‘Sounds more like the grown men should sit down and actually talk to each other.’ Meg snorted. 

‘I know,’ Alexis agreed. 

They began to walk again, the quiet morning taking over for a moment. 

‘So you slept with your boss’s daughter,’ Meg eventually concluded. ‘Then, what? He yelled at you and decided you deserved the gallows?’

‘I convinced him that I had been the one initiating it all and that she’d been too afraid to stop it.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I was one of his best guards and I could at least begin anew somewhere else,’ Alexis explained. 

‘But he almost executed you!’ Meg protested.

‘I got a day’s head start.’ 

‘So, why is she here now?’ Meg asked and Alexis shrugged. ‘You haven’t spoken to her?’

‘Well, she didn’t exactly go out of her way to defend me,’ Alexis retorted. ‘Her father made it quite clear that she’d be disowned if she didn’t do her duty to her kingdom. Anyway,’ Alexis continued. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ she said this as if that hadn’t eaten away at her for years. Meg shook her head fondly. 

‘I still think you should talk to her, that’s all,’ she said, before they turned up at the docks and said their goodbyes. 

‘Don’t think I have forgotten about you-know-who!’ Alexis called over her shoulder.

The day was not getting any better as Meg was greeted by the one person besides Hercules that she did not want to speak to. Buttering up Ianos and the others, Calliope stood in the middle of the warehouse, laughing and chattering away. Despite wearing a slightly less extravagant dress this morning, she still looked fancier than the rest of the workers put together. Her hair had been meticulously set in place by a headband and jewellery. A few black coils framed her face. Meg subconsciously pulled her fingers through her bangs once, as if they’d stand out less that way. Ianos and Gregor waved her over.

‘Megara! We’ve got a new trainee!’ Gregor announced, pointing at Calliope. Meg raised an eyebrow. Gods knew Gregor was easily persuaded but it still ticked her off. ‘I thought you two might take your first step onto my ship today!’ Calliope nodded enthusiastically, but Meg felt cold dread up her spine. 

‘Gregor, I’ve told you before that I don’t wanna be at sea..’ she complained, but Gregor waved her off. 

‘No better time to start than today! The sky is juust cloudy enough, wind is perfect and apparently we have an experienced sailor with us now,’ he nudged toward Calliope, a coy smile on her face.

‘Aw Gregor, I’m not that experienced. Just been learning from my dad every summer,’ she said. Meg wished desperately that she could be somewhere else, but she saw the challenge in Calliope’s eyes, and no matter how averse to boat life she was, she would not back down.

‘Fine, we might as well,’ she agreed finally. ‘So are we leaving now…?’

The weather was still fine by the time they set sail, but Meg was thunderous. She didn’t trust this woman, who not only had ditched Alexis for power but also somehow had been using Hercules. It didn’t help that she kept looking her up and down, as if measuring her competition. 

Infuriating. 

‘Callie, you might want to pull the rope tighter for this curve,’ Gregor shouted across the deck and pointed. Meg, who was currently leaning over said deck, forced herself upright and tried walking over to where Gregor was steering the ship.

‘Are you doing this on purpose?’ she groaned and he laughed.

‘Not to worry, you’ll get your sea legs one day.’ 

_Not if I never step on a ship again_ , she grumbled to herself. 

‘Poseidon’s not on our side today,’ Gregor laughed again when a harsher wind grabbed hold of the sail. ‘Don’t worry, I made sure to appease him before we left. Just a bit of fun.’ If this was fun, Meg hated to imagine what he considered bad weather. ‘There’s a spot behind these cliffs, where we get most of the trout catches here in spring and if we’re lucky, maybe even tuna!’ The thought seemed to elevate his mood even further. Meg was unsure of what her role was once they’d arrived, since she barely could stand up without her breakfast threatening to come back up. 

They made it to the fishing spot, but something strange happened that Gregor could not have foreseen. The wind picked up and Calliope nearly lost her grip on the rope that was keeping the sail on the right course. The ship started rocking from side to side and Meg’s stomach churned again. She cursed when the weather turned foul in a single breath, storms picking up.The cliffs looked like they were falling apart. Yes, Meg concluded at further inspection. Giant rocks tore from the cliffside, splashing down close to them, causing sets of nearly vertical waves to rock the ship. The vessel was bigger than Sosthenes’ but not enough to handle these kinds of waters. 

Calliope started to have panic grow in her eyes. 

‘I can’t hold this for much longer,’ she yelled to Gregor, who snapped his head to them. He called for Meg to keep the rudder in place while he helped her. She did stumble as fast as she could to him, but when she finally had her hands on it, she realized that she didn’t know which way to turn it. Behind her, she heard Calliope yelp and the sail was let go. The wind was no longer in their favor. In affect, Meg thrust the rudder to one side. The ship lurched, causing all three of them to crash onto the deck. She hit her head hard, stars dancing in front of her eyes. 

‘What in the name of Hades are you doing?’ Gregor called, running across the rocking floor. From her position on the ground, Meg saw Calliope’s panicked eyes. 

‘I-I thought I had it in control,’ she stammered. Meg groaned, closing her eyes to keep from fainting. She was never, _ever_ , stepping on a boat again.

There was a loud bang as something connected with Gregor’s head and he fell down as well. Meg forced herself up, crawling to Calliope. The ship had crashed into one of the sharp rocks.

‘It’s not so bad,’ Calliope tried to reassure her. Meg didn’t know much about sailing still, but she did know that the water was supposed to stay out of the ship. ‘What do we do, Gregor… Gregor?’ The pair looked back to find the old man knocked out cold. 

‘What do we do now?’ Calliope asked, rising panic in her voice. Meg groaned again.

‘I thought you were the expert?’ she snapped. ‘Let’s just try to get out of here alive!’ She ran back to Gregor, making sure he was still breathing. 

‘The hole is not that big,’ Calliope repeated. If we just get back out of the storm, we might make--’ the ship lurched and they had to hold on until it stopped. Thankfully the onslaughter of waves pushed them out from the shallow. ‘We can work with this, come on!’ Calliope shouted and Meg stumbled to her. She’d have nightmares forever about walking across the deck. Calliope instructed her on how to turn the sail, before hurrying to the rudder. ‘Just keep a firm grip on it,’ she called, ‘or we’ll have hell trying to reel it back!’ Her voice was hard now, not afraid or wobbly. Meg could hear the voice of a general in the melodious tone.

With her instructions, they managed to steer clear of any more rockslides. The waves were still hard to navigate, but they weren’t as vicious once they were out of the bay. 

Water was pouring in, slowly filling the deck. Meg could feel them sinking closer to the water. Soon they sighted the docks. Gregor was still unconscious. Calliope steered them closer to a large wave that nearly tossed them over, but which turned out to be perfect for a speed boost. As they neared town, Meg noticed people running towards the pier, waving and shouting. 

The ship was still sinking when they finally grabbed a hold of each of Gregor’s arms and threw themselves overboard to lie down on the pier. Meg was afraid the world would never stop spinning. 

‘Next time you wanna get hired, maybe start with something small,’ Meg said, turning to her side to look Calliope in the eye. She rolled her eyes in response. 

People took quick looks at them, but turned their attention to Gregor, still on the ground. Meg found solace in the fact that his chest was rising and falling, though he was sure to wake up with a terrible headache later.

They soon found themselves wrapped in blankets in the inn where Calliope was staying. The fireplace kept them warm and Meg wanted nothing more than go to sleep. 

‘I just needed her to see me,’ Calliope said out of nowhere. Meg turned. See her? ‘You seem to be real’ close to her… I just thought,’ she let out a mirthless laugh, ‘I thought I could show her how much I’d matured since last time. Stupid idea.’ 

‘You got on a ship and nearly got us killed for attention?’ Meg asked, baffled. 

‘Hey, it wasn’t my fault!’ she retorted. Meg knew that deep down, but all she could think of was the fact that Alexis had dumped her for this woman. ‘It’s just, she won’t talk to me, won’t listen. I thought if you’d help me, maybe I had a chance?’

‘Why even try? I heard the story, you just abandoned her to be killed or chased off! Besides,’ Meg added, unable to help herself, ‘It hasn’t occurred to you that maybe she’s moved on?’

‘Yeah yeah,’ Calliope waved her off. ‘I know you’ve been boinking her for months, but tell me this,’ Meg listened involuntarily, still cringing at the word ‘boinking’ coming from a grown woman’s lips, ‘If you knew that there was a chance, even a slim chance, that the love of your life might take you back, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to fight for them?’ 

She didn’t like the look she got from her, like she knew something Meg didn’t. Alexis had broken up with her, but was there a chance she’d change her mind and take her back…. 

No. That wasn’t what Calliope had meant. Alexis wasn’t the love of Meg’s life. Had never been. Despite the face that it made her heart twist, she imagined Alexis and Calliope together. Happy, in love. Without Meg in the background. Maybe Meg wasn’t worthy of that kind of love, but Alexis was. If Calliope was here then she must have made sacrifices…

‘What about your daddy dearest?’ Meg asked, raising an eyebrow. Calliope puffed up her chest, as if her pride was on the line.

‘I cut myself off from him. From my family.’ She said these words with difficulty, as if they truly hurt. ‘The moment I realized what Alexis had done, I went to see her, but she had already left.’ she sighed. ‘I demanded to know what happened to her and father told me that she was exiled. It took me a long time to figure out what to do and I’m not proud of that, but,’ her eyes were misty as she drew a deep breath, ‘I finally gathered up the courage to say no. I’ve left my father behind to find her, to be with her. If he can’t handle that I don’t want a part of his plans for me, then it’s his loss.’ 

‘You… You left your family behind for--’ Meg was in awe of this woman then and there. She rarely had heard of people willing to sacrifice their status and bonds like that.

‘I did it for love.’ Calliope finished. ‘Look, I don’t want to be the person to ruin your relationship with her but if I have even the slightest chance, then I will do whatever I can. Or else I won’t be able to live with myself.’

Meg stared at her. The woman had fire in her eyes, determination and passion. It was a sight and for a brief moment, she saw what Alexis must have seen in her.

The rain was still smattering down, leaving pools of mud on the roads and streets. The foul weather had rushed over the cliffs, down on their houses and was by nightfall reduced to gentle downpour. Meg waited outside under cover of the ceiling on the inn’s balcony. It had a beautiful view of the glittering ocean. Shivering, she hoped Alexis would arrive soon. Finally the door connecting the balcony to the inn’s upper floor opened and she walked out. Alexis stopped in her tracks, staring somewhere beyond where Meg stood. Waiting behind them was Calliope. Alexis’ jaw clenched, her shoulders tensed. Her expressive eyes gave her thoughts away as she looked back on Meg. This was the moment that Meg had been dreading, The moment she had to let her friend go and hope that she’d return.

‘I’ve talked to her,’ Meg explained to Alexis, ‘Please, just hear her out.’ She turned to the woman, hope written across her face, and patted Alexis on the shoulder. They locked eyes for a second,her friend’s eyes wide with worry and uncertainty. then Meg whispered, ‘Go get her, tiger,’ and walked back inside. 

On her way back home, she turned her eyes to the balcony to see whether Alexis left. 

A mixture of relief and sorrow twisted her gut when she saw that the couple was talking, frowning, laughing, hugging. She resigned to walk back to Gregor's home, where he had woken up earlier and raved about the Gods' fury with him. Somehow she needed to apologize and offer to fix that death machine.

At least something good came out of this day, she mused. Her thoughts trailed back to Hercules, but she shut them off as soon as they entered her mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sort of a springboard for me where I wished to propel the story further and faster. We're back to less insane and over the top stories in the upcoming chapters.
> 
> There will be some sort of explanation for the weird weather, but it's nothing that deep so please don't think about it too much. Also I know nothing of sea life so bear in mind that I'm just writing this for fun.


	9. The respite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My writing is all over the place right now. So sorry about that. I have a plan for the rest of the story, though.

The following week reminded Meg of why she’d preferred to be alone. Alexis and Calliope seemed to have talked it out enough to be on civil terms, but when in a room together Alexis stopped talking and stared at the ground. Calliope still stayed at the inn, but made sure to avoid Meg whenever they met on the street. 

Whatever was left of Alexis’ attraction toward Meg had quickly sizzled out. Apparently she didn’t appreciate being set up with an ex, by her other ex, which meant she hadn't bothered to say more than a few words to Meg since then. The expression “if looks could kill” came to her mind more than a few times.

She had to admit that it hurt to be shut out by Alexis, but her heartache had reduced to a dull pain. The physical hurt in her chest could not compare to what she’d experienced before, when she'd destroyed the one person she had wanted to protect. 

The thought of Wonderboy caused a sharp pain to run through her insides. She hadn’t seen him in days. His belongings remained in his room at the inn, which she assumed meant he would come back, but the way he’d looked at her the previous week...

In a way she understood his anger. She seemed incapable of doing anything but hurt people. Especially him.

The days would have been less frustrating had it only been Alexis and Calliope that caused her grief on a daily basis. Althea had been livid when she found out about Meg's stupid excursion. She was stomping into Meg's home, thoroughly pissed off that she hadn't looked out for Alexis, had allowed that terrible woman to ruin Gregor's finest possession. Knowing that Althea was a person you'd rather have on your side, Meg didn't mention the fact that Gregor honestly should have known better than to have brought two complete rookies onboard. 

To her credit, Althea was a loyal friend, furiously protective of the people closest to her. Gregor was her oldest friend, of course she was upset. It still hurt that she seemed to think that Meg was the cause of the disaster. Maybe Althea was more superstitious than Meg had previously thought, and imagined her as a bad omen. 

Gregor, who in his usual state was a whirlwind of emotion and opinions, was free from any physical ailments but his unwavering faith was… 

well, it wavered. The moment he woke up, he mumbled something about Poseidon letting him down for the first time. It was impossible to work next to him because he kept moaning about how his whole life had been a lie. He seemed heartbroken that his boat was impossible to sail, but despite Meg's constant offers to mend it, he refused to return to sea. 

_ Sailors and their superstitions.  _

What was even more frustrating was the way Hercules showed up one early morning out of the blue. Meg had decided to ignore Gregor's complaints and get to work on fixing the damn boat while the others were handling a trading barge that was going to be filled with goods. She was deep in concentration, feeling Gregor and Sosthenes' eyes on her while she tried to assert where to begin. The men were idly working on carrying produce onto the barge, but kept observing her. Sosthenes was as quiet and sullen as usual, but for once Meg had wished that he could try and say something more. Anything comforting, or anything to shut Gregor up. 

She wasn't a carpenter, nor was she well-versed in mending ships, but her pride prevented her from admitting to it right away. How difficult could it be? 

Turns out, it was pretty damn difficult. Calliope had obviously since the fiasco fled the scene of the docks and left Meg to fix their mistake, which made her even more adamant to mend it. After all, it was  _ her  _ friend’s livelihood on the line, not Calliope’s. 

Meg grew more desperate when a familiar voice, soft and careful, got her attention. The glow emanating from him illuminated the edges of her vision and she reluctantly turned around to look at him.The beard was gone and he’d dropped the extravagant toga from Olympus for a tunic that still didn't erase the godly aura surrounding him.

'Need any help with that?' Hercules asked, his blue eyes uncertain. Sosthenes stared at him from a few feet away, as he usually did whenever he was around. Gregor simply sniffed and ignored them, continuing on about how everything was pointless. It was so funny, Meg thought, that the old man worshipped the gods for years, right until a very real, very immortal god stood before him. She wondered whether they could see the fact that Hercules was  _ glowing,  _ or if they just saw a large, muscular young man in front of them. 

'You can build, boy?' Sosthenes grumbled brusquely and Meg almost wanted to laugh, thinking of what he would do if he realized that he actually was talking to the son of Zeus. For being a trading hub, the people here had no clue as of what was happening around them and seemed convinced the big ox of a man showing up was a completely ordinary person. Hercules cleared his throat.

'Well, I've. I… no, not really,' he answered, cheeks darkening again. 'I just want to help, is all.'

'I thought you were a hero,' Gregor interjected, suddenly perking up at the prospect of gossip. 'Yes, the savior of Thebes. shouldn't you be out there, fighting people?' He voice was ridiculing.

'Umm. I-I don't really…' he began, looking mortified.

'He's a hero, not a soldier, Gregor,' Meg cut in. 'He helps people and fights monsters.’

‘Some people claim that you’re a god,’ Sosthenes added. ‘Do all gods live like this?’ He gestured toward him. 

‘You’d be surprised,’ Hercules answered. It made Meg snicker. It was hardly a secret that the gods loved coming down to Earth, wreaking havoc or seducing mortals… sometimes both. They shared a look, unconsciously smiling. ‘So, umm.. What happened?’

‘You didn’t hear?’

‘No, I’ve been to see my parents. And Phil, of course. Thought they should know that I’ll be down here for a while.’ Meg raised her eyebrows. ‘I’m still staying, of course. Until I can make sure that you are safe. All of you,’ He added quickly.

‘We don’t need your help, we have a princess with an army to lead.’ Gregor protested. ‘You city folks think you know everything--’ He began. This was becoming to much and Meg snapped.

‘Let it go!’ she yelled, beyond tired of hearing his tirades. He flinched and quieted down. Sosthenes and Hercules stared at her. For a second she wondered if she should apologize, but at this point all she wanted was for him to stop antagonize them. Before changing her mind, she stood up and walked away, her chest burning a hole inside. 

Everything was wrong. Her friends avoided her. Gregor’s life was in shambles. Althea was still pissed off with her and the fight with her and Wonderboy was too fresh in her mind. At this point, she’d rather just run away.

That was why she walked back home, threw her waterskin and a loaf of bread into a bag and fetched Zoe. It was time to get some distance. 

The town was situated in a bay, perfect for keeping ships in calm waters. The sides of the shore were framed by cliffs. Behind the short but steep stone steps leading through the cliffside, there were miles of green fields and beautiful temples lining the road to the village closest to the town. She’d gone once with Althea months ago, to offer a trade route with that village. The sights on the road had been mesmerizing and Meg just wanted to have distance from everything else.

Getting started on the hike, she ventured out the backside of her home, leading Zoe on a dirt road that turned into stone steps the further they got. The early noon sun was beginning to warm her face, taking her longingly back to hot summer days and lazy afternoons. While the air still had a crisp bite to it, turning their breaths to fog, the sunshine made it almost feel like spring. Meg hated winter and longed for the heat. 

She and Zoe stopped by a spring to fill up her waterskin. The water was ice cold, almost burning her throat when she drank. White frost started to melt off the grass.

Every so often Zoe would deviate from the road to chase something amongst the sparse trees. She leapt across large rocks and galloped like a horse, Meg thought. 

Being out in the open was liberating. The headache that had tormented her started to dissipate and she drew in a deep breath, feeling herself calm down. The jealousy of someone else taking up Alexis’s mind, Gregor’s mean words became white noise in the back of her mind. It was almost too easy to simply let her thoughts glide past. 

The moment they descended on the other side of the cliffs, heading straight for the tall grass, Meg’s feet touched the ground and she nearly wept from relief. Zoe immediately shot through the fields, once or twice sticking her head up to make sure Meg was near. They kept walking. Along the road they met a farmer sitting outside of his house, enjoying his lunch in the sun. He waved lazily and Zoe ran up to him for pets and maybe a bite of his lunch. 

It was past noon when Meg and Zoe made it to the place Meg was looking for. The last time Meg had visited, the shrine had been covered in budding white lilacs, their floral scent drawing her in. This time, only a few lavender bushes traced the narrow path up towards the shrine. The warm sun had fooled her into believing that spring was here again. They were high enough to get a view of the glittering ocean. The wind blew stronger here.

A beautiful statue of Aphrodite overlooked anyone crossing the road. There was a bench perched under a low pine tree, sheltered by soft shadows dancing from its branches. She sat down by the bench and closed her eyes. 

She hated heights. It made her insides twist, her head spin. From where she sat, however, she couldn’t properly see the edge of the cliff, couldn’t see the sharp rocks at sea level. Only the blue water. Somehow it didn’t feel as scary to sit on this bench, watching the horizon. Zoe had to sniff everything and even tried using the statue of Aphrodite to relieve herself, before Meg stopped her. 

‘I don’t need another god’s wrath on me, especially because my dog badly behaved,’ she told Zoe, but she felt her face twisting into a smile. Zoe sneezed and continued sniffing the ground.

In solitude, Meg’s thoughts were drawn to a person she hadn’t thought much about in a while. His blond locks, so different from the rest of their family. His carefree laugh and the mischievous twinkle in his eye whenever they’d sneak into the kitchens at night. 

She’d vowed to remember him just like that for the rest of her life. Not the way he’d looked on his last day among the living. Haunted eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. Begging their father to see reason. The only reason she’d stayed with her parents after his death was to honor his memory. When her father made sure that he be erased from their family history, it seemed completely pointless to keep up the pretense that her family was the same as before.

Sorrow took a firm grip of her heart, making it difficult to breathe for a while. Alone, up on a cliff and shivering in the shadow under a tree, she allowed herself a moment to grieve again. Her sweet, fun, righteous brother who should be alive. 

The sun made its way down the sky, and Meg eventually had to get up from her seat and turn back home. All thoughts of her brother were left by the bench overlooking the sea, because while she always carried him with her, she’d learned that some memories were best left to rest. 

When she and Zoe arrived back home, Meg was shivering from cold. With no sunshine, the air once again turned cold and unforgiving.

So focused to get inside and warm up, Meg was startled by something she hadn’t expected. Too distanced from her life, it took a moment to collect herself, to come back to what she had left that morning.

Outside her house, sitting on the ground and seeming to have fallen asleep, he started at the sounds of her footsteps closing in and stood up. The glow of his skin radiated as usual. Pegasus was there too. She’d almost forgotten about him as well. He looked nervous.

‘Got kicked out?’ she quipped. Hercules stammered,

‘I-I’m sorry for sitting here like a weirdo,’ he said finally. ‘I will go if you want to, I j-just came here to…’ The color of his cheeks didn’t turn red, but they definitely darkened. ‘To apologize. 


	10. The apology

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy a dialogue that doesn't end in a fight, by yours truly!

Meg raised an eyebrow, not really sure what to feel. Their last conversations were so different from the way they’d talked before, when they’d teased each other, speaking of their inner thoughts. Laughing.

It was like they held so much more from each other, despite what logic said. 

Pegasus chirped loudly, and to Meg’s surprise, trotted over to sniff at her face and hair, nuzzling at her shoulder. It seemed he hadn’t forgotten that she wasn’t his enemy, which softened her right up.

‘Alright, let’s hear it then.’ She gently nudged Pegasus off and turned to Hercules. His scent was so soft, sweet like honey. His shoulders relaxed. ‘But first I really need to get inside. We’re freezing.’ She opened her door, letting Zoe scamper up the stairs and offered Hercules and Pegasus in. The wings were too big to fit inside and Pegasus had to stay outside. She began building a fire and crouched down. ‘What are you apologizing for, exactly?’ He sighed loudly behind her.

‘Oh for everything,’ he started and somehow Meg started to feel her spirit lifting. He was really apologizing? ‘For… For not coming sooner. For being so unfair and mean to you.’ His breath hitched. ‘ I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. I know it doesn’t make it better, but...’ Meg smiled and interrupted him.

‘Apology accepted.’ Hercules leaned back, perplexed. ‘I mean, they hurt, but there are few of us on this earth that have managed to come out of a relationship - of any sort of course,’ she stuttered as she added the last words, hearing the implication, ‘without saying or doing regrettable things. Believe me, I’ve done them all.’ Damn that blush. She quickly turned back to the fire, hoping he couldn’t see it.

The flames started to rise from the logs and she put up her icy hands to warm up. Hercules was quiet for a moment.

‘About the other thing-’ he began and she stopped him once again. 

‘I get it, you got swept up in living your dream--,’ she tried to diffuse the tug in her gut, the ache twisting around her heart at the words she uttered. This time, Wonderboy cut in.

‘The place where you almost sank the boat. It’s one of the entrances to Hades.’

Meg’s breath caught in her throat. There were other entrances? She’d only ever been to the one. That was too close. Her stomach twisted and she could feel bile rising in her throat. What if he’d taken her back to hell? Unable to mask her fear, she sat herself down on the floor, fixing him with her gaze. He looked worried.

‘How do you know?’ She asked. 

‘I got directions and went to check it out,’ he explained. ‘Callie showed me where it was. It’s hard to explain, but I sort of… Sensed the entrance and then I saw it.’ A prickle of irritation bubbled up in Meg when he spoke of Calliope, using that nickname. If Hercules noticed her line of thoughts, he ignored them. ‘We’ve put up a barrier between the mortal world and the underworld to make sure nothing but souls and Hermes can go in and out. I guess Poseidon put up his own security around the border to keep people away,’ he shrugged. ‘At any rate I think you guys should try to avoid going anywhere near that place.’

Meg shivered, clutching her arms around herself. She could never be free of him. Never. Hercules’ expression softened and he sat down opposite her, grabbing a blanket from one of her chairs and softly wrapping it around her. For a brief second, the warmth of his skin caressed her shoulders as he adjusted the fabric. She didn’t want to be this vulnerable, not after she’d gone out of her way to become strong again. Yet when he looked at her like that, hot tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She lowered her gaze, trying to blink them away. Hercules’ hand reached out as if he’d meant to touch her, but he seemed to think better of it and retrieved it. Meg shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips.

‘I’ll never be free of him, will I? I hoped I could at least begin anew but...’ her pulse beat rapidly against her skin. 

‘There was a trial against him on the day I left,’ Hercules said. It made Meg snap out of her self pity. ‘They made him admit to all the crimes done against the gods, of all the damage he did to Earth and he got a millenium of house arrest, so to speak.’ He somehow looked disapproving. Meg tilted her head.

‘Why house arrest?’ She eventually asked, thinking it sounded ridiculous. 

‘Because he’s the only one willing to do his job as lord of the dead,’ Hercules sighed. ‘So he can keep doing his job but he can’t leave the Underworld, nor can he call on others except Hermes. And his wife of course. But they’re keeping her on observation as well.’ 

Meg had only met Persephone once and wished she hadn’t met her at all. Something about Hades having anyone he actually cared about made him seem too… Human. Besides, nobody who willingly would spend more than a minute in the Underworld could be good company. Knowing that a goddess knew about her and did nothing to set her free grinded on her. Hercules continued on.

‘So… You don’t have to worry. It is literally impossible for him to hurt you. I don’t think he would try it now that all gods’ eyes are on him. besides, I made sure he knew that I would hunt him to the ends of the Earth if he ever came close to you again. I will never let that happen’ His eyes were fierce when he said it. As usual with him, Meg was overcome with a jumble of emotions. 

‘You can’t spoil me with words like that,’ she whispered, forcing lightness in her words, ‘A girl might get used to it.’ At those words his serious face broke into his normal, boyish grin that sent her heart aflutter. She heard herself chuckle and had to break eye contact again in fear of giving too much of herself away. They fell into a companionable silence, both staring at the fire. The room grew steadily warmer as the moon traveled higher in the sky.

‘So…’ she finally said, needing to get Hades out of her thoughts. ‘What did you do in sky city, besides doing damage control?’ She’d hoped to get him to tell her of whatever ridiculous stuff he’d been doing as immortal, perhaps even get some gossip, but his brows knit in frustration. ‘I… I’m not really sure.’ He answered eventually. 

‘You’re not… sure?’ Meg repeated. He rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly struggling to find the right words.

‘I-It’s difficult to explain, I… It’s like I’ve been sleepwalking. I kept forgetting where I was, what had happened. As if the last few days on Earth hadn’t happened. Then I heard the prayer in my head and I just knew I had to get back down. I was just so happy to finally remember and then I found that you’d moved on and it just...’ He stopped, turning to face the fireplace again. His eyes glistened. ‘I shouldn’t have got upset, because we never were… It’s not like we actually committed… I guess there was just a selfish part of me that wished you wouldn’t move on, that we could have backed the clock a few days and continued from where we’d left off’. He shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, I seem to always blurt things out around you.’ 

Meg heard him, but was stuck on his comments. Days… the time didn’t add up. Something was tugging at her chest uncomfortably. He’d forgotten what had happened. 

‘Wonderboy,’ she said carefully. ‘How much time has passed since you defeated the titans?’

He opened his mouth, obviously perplexed by the question, but before he could answer, a jet of blue light zoomed passed them, twirling around her home. Zoe started to bark and Meg yelped in surprise. 

‘It’s okay, Meg!’ Hercules reassured her, just as the blue light turned to a small, blue god with wings on his feet.  _ Hermes _ . ‘What’s happened?’ Herc asked, body tense. Hermes tipped his hat towards Meg and introduced himself, keeping far enough off the ground that Zoe couldn’t reach him. Whatever he was doing here, Meg doubted it would be good news.

‘Why dontcha take a seat, kids?’ Hermes suggested, his voice measured. ‘I hate to say it but it’s not a social call-In fact, I don’t think either of you will appreciate my company after this.’

A chill ran down Meg’s spine at the words and she was sure she wouldn’t like whatever was coming.

Hermes’ eyes were regretful, but they didn’t fool her. 

‘I’m sorry that it took me so long to get here,’ he announced. Hercules stayed motionless, awaiting whatever was coming. Meg couldn't stop herself from approaching him carelessly and staring him down.

‘When you were brought to Olympus I got the order to separate you two love birds,’ he explained. ‘Your old man hoped that you’d forget about her and live like one of us.’ He bowed his head in what Meg assumed was shame. ‘I didn’t like it but orders are orders and so I did what he asked.'

‘What do you mean?’ Hercules asked, voice quiet and scared. 

'What did you do?' Meg added, anxiety crawling under her skin, making her hands shake.

‘Time becomes a less constant, accurate measure when you become a god,’ Hermes tried to explain. He stopped, hesitating. ‘Especially if the Ambrosia you drink is spiked. And you drink multitudes of it.’ 

Meg had to grip the edge of the table to keep from hitting something.  _ His own father.  _

‘What does that mean? I blacked out on Olympus How many days have I missed?’ Hercules prompted. 

‘Kid, you’ve missed an entire year on Earth,’ Hercules’ face paled. 

‘But I…’ He stuttered, and the look of panic made Meg want to step in front of him like a shield, averting every hurtful truth. ‘I was only gone two days, it was two nights. It can’t have been..’ 

Meg felt just as confused as he was. Why would they drug him and make him forget things? She was about to ask, when Hercules’ words caught up with her.

Days. 


	11. The revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> Thanks to each and every one of you who've read this fic! I'm just starting a new job and therefore I'm extremely tired all the time, which means I probably won't post as frequent  
>  BUT  
> I Will defintely finish it, I know where the story is going and I want to see it til the end.

Meg’s ears were ringing.

She faintly recognized Hermes talking, excusing Zeus’s actions. As if it was something inevitable, something so natural to do that they should neither be surprised, nor upset. Hercules was asking question, sounding more and more agitated.

Meg’s breath came in short bursts, her nails surely making scratch marks on the wood of the table.

They could have been together. She and him, one year ago. There was a risk that he wouldn’t have chosen to be with her.

But maybe he would have. If he’d loved her as much as he’d said. They could have been married by now. A kid on the way. Or maybe just living their lives together, eating dinner. Holding hands in the Theban market every week and making love in the mornings. She might have had a chance at love again. An actual chance.

All those possibilities, all those choices had been taken away and for what? So the gods could use them as toys. Just like they always did.

Hades’ face danced in her mind. 

He’d never cared for her welfare, but he was supposed to be the bad seed. The corrupt, the invading. He’d cruelly reminded her every day that she could do nothing, be nothing that he didn’t decide for her. Her body, her soul, were never her own. Once she’d awaited her death, she’d assumed in relief that she would be rid of him. Now another god had decided her fate for her. 

Something inside her broke. Slowly she backed away from the two gods, both of their divine light nearly blinding her inside her small house. She was almost out the door, wanting nothing more than to run away, hide and think through just what this meant. They noticed her rushing towards the door.

‘Meg,’ Hercules lay a soft hand on her shoulder, but the very touch of his skin burned. Afraid to look around and see the truth in his eyes, she fled the scene.

Somehow she found herself in the warehouse. Torches were lit up outside and caught a warm glow through the small windows. Inside there was enough room to pace for a while, but when it made her thoughts go around in circles, she eventually switched to punching the walls. They were harder than she’d expected, but the pain in her knuckles that eventually made her stop didn’t catch up with her right away. 

Her fists uncoiled into palms, flat against the wall in front of her. Her forehead rested on the cool surface, finding that breathing was next to impossible. Barely any air fit into her lungs, which forced her to draw shallow breaths. Her eyes burned and she squeezed them shut tight as fat teardrops fell and dripped onto the floor. Her chest hurt.

Once she’d stopped moving, the chill of the night made itself known, causing her to shake. The presence of mold and death overtook her nostrils. She could almost sense the touch of Hades’ bony hands on her arms, the ghost of a caress at her waist. That disgusting voice breathing into her ear, telling her of all the ways she had no control over her life.

It was impossible to stay any longer, she concluded. She had to flee. Anywhere was better than this town that constantly reminded her that her choices didn’t matter. 

Pushing herself off of the cold wall, she sniffed as the tears still ran. There was dried meat in the cellar, as well as produce. She could take a bag, steal enough food to last her a few days, then get out of there. Truly start anew again, away from gods and ...

She was so on edge that she yelped in surprise when a careful knock sounded at the large opening, feeling like prey finally noticing the cougar in the tall grass. 

Hercules’s eyes were not red, probably because he still was a god, but they were wide and glistening. It made her tense shoulders relax in increments. Suddenly aware of what she must look like, she stuffed the bag into a corner and quickly dried her cheeks, as if they didn’t look puffy and red. 

‘Can-can I come in?’ He asked softly, walking inside. Meg simply nodded. He released a sigh and started pacing the floor just as she had. She wanted to say something, give a snarky remark or joke. Instead, she worried at her lower lip, feeling another shiver run through her. 

He stopped pacing and came up to her, seemingly ready to say something, but stopped when his eyes landed on her bruised knuckles. Instantly he picked up her hand and with worry laced in his voice asked, 

‘What happened? Are you hurt?’ 

Somehow his gentle touch calmed her down. The ghost of Hades evaporated and the feel of Hercules’ strong hands grounded her. 

‘Well, I- I kind of punched the walls.’ Meg smiled, feeling ridiculous saying it out loud. ‘might have imagined someone’s face. Better not tell you which one.’ She’d hoped that he’d smile but his face was serious.

‘Meg,’ his breath hitched, eyes shining, ‘I am so,  _ so  _ sorry for what I said on my first day here,’ he started and Meg could barely believe her ears. Of all the things to focus on when you’ve found out  _ your own father _ had you drugged...

‘Wonderboy, I already told you it’s fine.’ She couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘Is that really what you’re worried about at the moment?’ Tears were forming in his eyes and she felt a strong urge to reach her hand up and gently catch them falling down his cheeks. Her heart began to beat faster. ‘I want you to tell me how  _ you’re  _ feeling.’ He hesitated, his chest deliberately slowing down his breathing.

‘I-I just can’t believe father would do this…’ he said, voice wobbling. His eyes scrunched up, cheeks wet. ‘‘I thought there was something wrong with me, that I was going insane, but it was  _ him _ .’

Somehow her anger over the god dissipated when she saw the sorrow on Hercules’ face. The face of the young man she’d seen all those months ago, looking at her like that.

Before she lost the nerve, she carefully lifted her hand to rest on his cheek. He responded immediately, leaning in to her touch, like a giant cat begging for pets. It seemed to calm him down, at least a little, because he began to take actual deep breaths. The heat of his cheek made her palm tingle. Probably because the rest of her body was freezing now that the shock had worn off. His godly light radiated warmth and Meg wondered faintly if it was a God thing or simply a Wonderboy thing.

Not much else came out of either of them, and when Meg’s shivers became impossible to hide, they decided to walk back. Hercules saw her clutching her arms protectively and asked to borrow her shawl. He fumbled for a good moment before returning it to her, seeing the look of confusion on her face and said,

‘Trust me.’

That she did, and when she wrapped it around her shoulders, warmth emanated from it and caused heat to ripple through her body. She shivered from the sensation, momentarily lost in the sense of security. When she looked back at Hercules, he seemed very pleased.

‘Where’d you learn that trick?’ She said, still holding the shawl tight to her body. 

‘It’s nothing really, just an ability I picked up the other day,’ he answered, shrugging. The very pleased smile on his face gave him away. ‘I just seem to control temperatures sometimes, just… making things warm, I guess.’

‘So your superpower is being hot,’ Meg said and despite the gods-awful line she smirked at the dark shade spreading across his face. ‘Coulda told you that months ago.’

They walked in silence the rest of the way home, Hercules seemingly lost in his own thoughts and Meg wondering what to do about her situation. Despite the fact that they’d professed their love for one another before, it had still been a year… sort of. Meg couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d left it too open for their relationship to progress. And did she want that, anyway? 

There was still her conflicting feelings for Alexis to consider. Was she ready to give up their relationship like that? Hercules had been jealous when he’d found out about them, but Meg knew from experience that you didn’t have to still love someone to feel the sting of jealousy at seeing an old flame. 

Maybe it was due to his drug-infused sleepwalking, but something had been off about him, Meg thought. From the moment they’d met, he had always seemed like two ends of a spectrum. Even when they’d been playing hookie on the night before it all happened, Meg had been thrown by the nature of his disposition. No man could actually be that much of a goofball, completely oblivious, only to turn it all upside down like that and saying the most thoughtful, sweetest things.

His deep blue eyes had been so beautiful as a human, she thought as they walked down the streets, getting closer and closer to her house. She didn’t want to arrive home yet, her feet dragging. There was an ache inside, like tiny birds flapping their wings, desperate to escape. 

‘Well,’ Hercules stopped outside her door. ‘Here we are.’ He made no effort to get himself invited in, which was both a relief and disappointment. Meg sighed as she opened the door. The fire had died down, she noticed. It seemed Wonderboy had made sure to keep it from setting fire to her house while they were away. Inside it was still warm. Zoe padded down the narrow stairs, apparently having slept through the drama of the evening. She bounded for Meg, standing up on her hind legs, panting. With her arms full of dog, Meg turned to face Hercules, who seemed less pensive and more amused at the sight. 

‘Goodnight, Meg.’ He smiled at her, not his normal, goofy grin, but something else that she didn’t quite recognize. It still made her heart skip a beat.

‘I’ll see you around,’ she answered, feeling high on the prospects of… something.

Maybe spring was coming back, after all.


	12. The party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets drunk and plays 'Never have I ever'.  
> Haha just kidding...  
> Unless?

Meg would have gladly spent the next month in this cocoon of possibilities and unspoken feelings. Knowing that she hadn’t been abandoned by Wonderboy, at least not intentionally, seemed to heal a part of her broken heart. It would have been fine to keep going like this for a while, but life still kept going.

She woke up early, confused as to why her first instinct was to smile, a goofy grin on her face. The memory of the night before had her spring out of bed and twirl excitedly around the floor. She didn’t even care to tell Zoe off for, once again, having snuck under the sheets. The usual pessimism that kept her from hoping was temporarily shoved into a far off corner of her mind, as she quickly changed into her work clothes and giddily bound for the docks. Wrapped around her shoulders was her shawl, still somehow blessed with constant warmth.

It was lunchtime by the time they crossed path again.

Meg was on her way to Althea’s to drop off her daily catch, when she met him again. They collided right in the doorway, him seemingly on his way. 

His face flushed. Meg couldn’t help but smirk in pleasure at his reaction, wishing at the same time that she wasn’t carrying a basket of stinking fish. They did the awkward ‘moving to the side at the same time’-dance, eventually chuckling nervously.

Althea peered over at them, eyes narrowing. Meg ignored the quiet anxious voice in the back of her mind.

‘S-sorry,’ Hercules stammered and tried to move out of her way again. Meg smiled and scrunched her nose in response, moving to put the basket on Althea’s table.

‘So what brings you here?’ She asked and turned around, feeling her body humming from his proximity. 

‘The boy wants to assist me in preparing for the spring feast,’ Althea explained, only breaking the tension minutely, hands on her hips.

‘Spring feast?’ Meg questioned. First time she’d heard of it.   
‘Yes. There are so many things that need to be moved and put in place. I was supposed to get help earlier this week, but everyone have been awfully busy. Luckily,’ she came over and patted his arm, like he was an old packing mule, ‘We’ve got muscle man here.’ Hercules smiled but worried at the back of his neck. 

‘Need any help with that?’ Meg offered. Her ears were going to fall off if she’d have to listen to Gregor anymore that afternoon and at this point she’d do anything to get away from the port. 

Of course, it would also make it possible to hang out with Wonderboy… alone. Hercules blushed. Meg couldn’t get enough of the color on his cheeks. 

Althea cut in.

‘Don’t even try it,’ she chided. ‘You’ve missed an entire day of work and Gregor is being a lazy bum himself. Who’dya think is going to help Sosthenes?’ Meg fought the urge to roll her eyes, but conceded that the old woman might have a point. She did feel guilty for leaving the old man alone, now that he’d gotten used to her assistance. He never said the words, but his gratitude expressed itself in his own way. Hercules made his way out of the house again.

‘Althea is probably right, but I’m sure you’ll have time to help in the days to come,’ he said. She wondered if he was being nice or if he tried to flirt back. 

‘All right, I’ll see you around,’ Meg answered, trying to mask her uncontrolled grin into a sly smirk. He chuckled nervously and bid them farewell. 

Meg watched him walk away, feeling giddy in a way she really hadn’t felt in a long time. Althea disrupted her daydreaming, smacking her lightly in the back of her head..

‘Reel it in, girl,’ she muttered behind her. ‘We don’t need to add more drama to the mix.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Meg said, exaggerated innocence lacing her voice.

It was early afternoon by the time she returned to Sosthenes. The men were gathered at the small market outside the warehouse, sharing freshly baked bread that filled her nostrils as she approached. At the scent of food, she felt the hole in her stomach, only now realizing just how long it had been since she’d eaten.

Their break was longer than usual and Meg couldn’t stop talking, feeling unusually social. She was just ridiculously happy at the moment and knew to take advantage of this rise in energy. People were mostly excited about the feast, but a few worried that they might not have time to finish their usual springtime preparations. It was important to do inventory, check equipment and transport, making sure that everything was still working the way it should. That, and the yearly taxes that were coming up. Someone wondered whether the theban merchant’s guild would turn up with the royal army again, making Meg’s heart momentarily stuttered when they all turned their heads towards her. The night of the invasion had become a sort of blurry memory for her and she’d hoped the rest of town had forgotten it by this time. Of course they wouldn’t have.

  
‘You think they’d try something again?’ Ianos murmured. Meg’s stomach twisted itself into a knot. She swallowed the bite of bread in her mouth, feeling as if it could lodge in her throat. They had been lucky that she’d caught the captain by surprise, but there was a nagging sensation in her chest warning her that her father wouldn’t put their dispute to rest.

‘Of course not,’ she answered dismissively and dipped another chunk in olive oil. ‘Like I’ve said before, I’m pretty much dead to my family anyway. they just wanted to make sure I wasn’t planning on marching into Thebes with an army.’ It made the men around her relax and they started chatting away. Meg laughed along with them and prayed that nobody else noticed her hand shaking.

The afternoon was unusually uneventful. Time seemed to crawl as Meg continued to work on Gregor’s ship. Eventually the man decided to get out of his existential crisis long enough to relieve her of her duties, preaching that a captain builds his own vessel, as if that was an old saying. She did not argue, as she fought the urge to simply gag him whenever he opened his mouth. Thankful to finally be free of this burden, she joined Sosthenes on his tiny boat, circling their floating cages in the shallow parts of the bay. His boat was close enough to shore that they’d manage to swim back or call for help if something happened, which was the only reason Meg dared to go with him. Besides, he was old enough that the wrong throw of a cage could crack his back. She really felt that she needed to be there. 

The catches were not as sparse as in the winter months, which was a welcome relief for both of them. Meg revelled in the look of satisfaction on the old man’s face. She always enjoyed work a lot more when they were alone, being able to focus on their tasks instead of making small talk with Gregor and whoever decided to show up and babble instead of doing their jobs. Sosthenes was a difficult man to read, even after a year of knowing him, but she’d like to imagine that he enjoyed her company as much as she did his. The weather was chilled but there was barely any wind, the water as clear and still as it could ever get. The sun made it possible to observe the marine life beneath. Meg caught silvery glimpses of shiny fish smoothly gliding through the water. She surprised herself by enjoying this moment in nature as much as she did.

They’d checked every cage, throwing them back into the ocean and made their way back. Meg grabbed the paddle that they used to pull the boat across the water.

‘You know the hero boy?’ Sosthenes finally asked, breaking the quiet. Meg felt worry creep up on her. Acknowledging the extent of their relationship would mean potentially outing herself as the destroyer of Thebes. In a way.

‘I-um.’ She cleared her throat. ‘We met. A few times in Thebes. He’s…’ She paused. The citizens didn’t believe he was a god. Some of them didn’t even think he was a hero. She doubted Sosthenes believed in anything that gossip said. There was a fierce need inside her to explain to them all just what kind of person he was, but she couldn’t find the words. ‘He’s a good man. Always tries to help people wherever he goes.’ The thought of him warmed her heart.

‘He helped me carry another boat yesterday,’ Sosthenes said. ‘Good man.’ 

_ All right, _ Meg thought, hiding her smile into her arm.  _ He’s won someone over. _

Life trudged on for a while, letting the grey winter rain give in to budding flowers and warmer days. It seemed that town was beginning to wake up from the slumber of winter. Gregor regained his love for the ocean, slowly and with a suspicious eye on the water. The spring feast was closing in every day, until one day when the sun warmed enough that they didn’t need coats and mittens anymore. Althea was putting up the last parts of the foods meant for the evening’s shindig.

People worked to their bones in order to be done before the afternoon was finished. Meg felt a small sliver of excitement at the prospect of gathering everyone to celebrate. She wasn’t much of a party person, never had been, but it would be an opportunity to talk to Alexis again, and of course, to Wonderboy. The town was buzzing all day, everyone wanting to talk about last year’s, or of what they’d bring to the dining hall of the giant inn, where they kept the feast each year.

It was a loud party, one that seemed to have gone on for hours when Meg arrived. She’d heard it from two blocks away as she walked down the streets. Merchants were playing games inside, taunting and psyching each other. Cora, the young mother, had picked up a lyre and started to play, while her children slept on a large cushion behind her stool. Meg made a note in her head to ask where she’d learn to play as she listened. 

A woman serving wine offered her a mug and she gratefully took it. In a corner she could see Alexis sitting with her arms crossed. She looked miffed, not her usual, carefree self. Meg came over and was about to ask what was going on, when she followed Alexis’s eyes towards where the beautiful Calliope was teaching some teenagers an old family dance. 

She had a ringing laugh, her eyes twinkling with mischief in her silky dress with accessories donning her hair. The young girls looked at her in awe as she twirled on the floor. Meg instantly felt underdressed and took a gulp of wine. 

‘You’re sitting this one out?’ Alexis looked up and seemed to relax the tiniest bit when she found Meg’s familiar face. ‘Just staring daggers at Calliope until she dies? Or until she notices you?’ She sat down next to her, propping up a pillow to lean against on the wall. Alexis scoffed.

‘She thinks she can charm the people here with gifts and glamorous parties.’ Alexis sneered, an uncharacteristic gesture. ‘Those fancy dresses that the girls are wearing. She showed up with them as if she’s some fairy godmother. Whatever her motive is, I don’t trust her.’ 

‘Alexis, what’s gotten into you? I thought you guys had talked it out. I thought you were friends?’ Meg chided.

‘ _She_ talked. Mostly about how much she missed me. Not an ounce of apology or even any regret. She acts as if she hasn’t done anything wrong, like I should just accept it. So maybe I just want to be bitter and petty today.’

‘Save it for those of us who can pull it off. Besides, _you’re_ the one that ended it. She doesn’t have any motive other than to get your attention!’ 

‘Sure, that’s it. Or maybe she’s been sent here by her father to mess with me.’ Alexis sounded less sure about this.

‘Well, you’ll never know unless you actually talk. To. Her.’ Meg emphasized the last words and only received a stern glare from her friend. Calliope glanced over, a cautious look at the two of them. Meg recalled the evening that they’d sat together by the fire, Calliope confessing just how far she would go for Alexis. She wondered if the two women were too stubborn or just stupid, the way they both kept missing each other’s signals. She sighed.

The evening took an interesting turn when Gregor arrived rolling an entire barrel of home-made wine into the dining hall. The merchants playing cards looked up and hollered. The atmosphere of the inn was high spirited and the inhabitants gathered around for games. Meg held her own cup close to her, never putting it down on the table in front of her. She observed as people sat down around their table, shouting for a drinking game. Meg was feeling less guarded this evening and decided to have a go at the silly games. 

Calliope slowly neared the table, settling herself down on a bench opposite Meg and Alexis. Meg felt the glares between them and wished she could join Althea and Gregor at the other end. Some lady beside her started to ask her about the Theban army and whether the trading ships still would make an appearance this year. Meg had to remind her that she was, at this point, about as royal as the lady herself. She didn’t accept this for an answer and kept pestering her about serious, economical questions that Meg was way too sober to discuss. The truth was that she had no idea what her father might do next. If she spent too much time thinking about it, she would drown with worry. Hopefully he wouldn’t take her bait and show up in town, but he might as well try to take her with the traders by force. Ianos was gathering people at the table to join them in a classic drinking game, giving Meg an excuse to turn around and ignore the lady. She gave Alexis a pointed look and began to relax.

That is, until she saw Wonderboy make his way through the entrance door and stop. He’d undoubtedly missed the memo and had not prepared for an evening of getting shitfaced when he’d stepped inside. His eyes darted across the tables, alarmed and… Was that shyness that Meg noticed in his features? Without hesitation, she half-rose from her seat and waved him over with a whistle to get his attention. He found her face and instantly seemed to relax, his lips twitching into a grateful smile. Meg’s heart skipped a beat as she sat back down. 

Hercules got a cup handed to him and managed to squeeze into a seat next to Calliope. They greeted each other with a one armed hug and a laugh, which made Meg’s stomach flip unpleasantly. Calliope seemed comfortable with just about everyone, but it didn’t help Meg from noticing just how close she was sitting. Alexis had picked it up as well, because Meg felt her stiffen when she turned their way. Meg hoped she wasn’t that obvious and tried to look as pleased with the situation as she could.

‘All riiiiight,’ Ianos the fisherman yelled, getting most people’s attention. ‘Never have I…’ he paused, trying and failing to hide a burp, causing his neighbors to dramatically wave hands in front of their noses, ‘... Have I ever…’ he narrowed his eyes, glaring at them all, as if he could read their minds and conjure up their most embarrassing memories, ‘Been so surprised and scared that I pissed myself!’ Meg groaned from second hand embarrassment when one of the merchants roared in indignation, ‘Once! It happened once! And you’re the one who put the bag of beetles in my bed in the first place!’

The argument drowned in laughter and hollering as people started to bring up new challenges. Alexis raised an eyebrow and Calliope shook her head. Hercules looked slightly confused for the first rounds, until he started to understand how this game worked. It was a stupid game, more about humiliating each other and getting piss drunk, but Meg still couldn’t help herself but snicker when Alexis called ‘Never have I ever sunk my own ship!’ To which she, Calliope and Gregor held their cups in mock salute before downing the content. She and Calliope shared a look and Meg wondered if they could have been friends, had the circumstances been different. 

The game went on for so long that people eventually tired of it and made their way to other games, throwing darts or even just singing on the balcony together. The drinking game turned into regular drinking with questions thrown out to random people. 

Meg stayed at the table, feeling tipsy and more than a little interested in what she may find out about her friends. Hercules had only sipped at his cup, still seemingly sober. 

‘Okay, okay,’ Ianos said, turning his palms up, as if interrupting someone. ‘I have another one.’ They all listened in. ‘Who in this room has ever done a ‘walk of shame’? This made nearly everyone raise their cups to their lips, Meg included. Hercules looked uncertain, as if it was a joke he didn’t get. Ianos sighed in mock disappointment. ‘That’s not fun when all of you go at it!’ He frowned, then perked up when Gregor shouted, ‘Who in this room has the hots for someone else in here?’ The sentence was confusing and slurred by alcohol, but the meaning was clear. The merchants laughed. Meg dared to catch a quick glimpse at Wonderboy, wondering if he would take the bait or not. Before she’d had the time to reflect upon it, they were all distracted by Calliope, who’d stood up to down the rest of the half full bottle on the table.

It was a bold move, causing everyone to turn to her. She gulped down the last of the wine and almost punched it down on the table. If she was drunk, she was good at hiding it. Even some of the people throwing darts turned their heads. Ianos smiled, intrigued and gestured to her to continue. Calliope took a deep breath and began talking, as if she was preparing to tell a long story.

‘Two years ago, I was an uptight know-it-all with everything at my fingertips.’ She looked everyone in the eye, except for Meg and Alexis. ‘I thought I knew everything, knew exactly where my life was going, but then…’ she paused, staring down at the table a moment, before suddenly lifting her gaze towards Alexis. ‘Then I met the most beautiful, compassionate, thoughtful, _honest_ \--’ she started, now fixing Alexis with her gaze.

Meg turned to her friend, who seemed frozen to the spot, unsure and definately emotional about it. Calliope described the relationship, telling everyone of her love. Explaining what a coward she’d been, too afraid to open up and let go of her control, her certainty. Meg was impressed by how well she kept her composure, despite the tears that were appearing in the corner of her eyes. Alexis hadn’t moved and the room was quiet, in comparison to what it had sounded like a minute ago. The lady on Meg's other side was crying.

‘The truth is,’ Calliope said and her voice wobbled, ‘that I have never, _ever,_ loved anyone the way I love her. Because I still do. So much,’ Alexis let out an audible sob, looking completely ruined. ‘And even though I messed up, I will not leave this town until she understands just how much I do.’ With that she sat down and for some reason the people on the other end started applauding, more out of awkwardness than anything else. Meg turned to her friend for damage control, but Alexis was already standing up, tears falling. She used the sleeve of her tunic to wipe at her nose. Calliope’s eyes were huge, staring up at her. Struggling to come back to their previously fun mood, a woman started yelling out more questions and Meg watched as Alexis left the table, leaving wet spots on the wood. Calliope climbed out of her chair, hurrying after her. They were out of sight for the rest of the evening.

The drinking game turned into more of a conversation with wine after that. Thankful to stop drinking, Meg put down her cup, turning it upside-down to indicate that she was done. She was, however, much too inebriated to dare standing up just yet. Hercules watched her with cautious glances. She returned them a few times, wondering if she should try to crawl over and sit next to him. It would be quite embarrassing to have to sink down on the floor to get there and she decided against it.

‘So what is your deal, hero boy?’ Gregor suddenly asked, fixing his dark eyes on Hercules. He started, as if woken up from a dream and Meg wanted to smile at him. He was adorable. 

‘Umm.’ He murmured, unsure. Gregor pressed on,

‘I thought you were this big-shot in Thebes and Athens! Why’re you here in this corner of Greece? We have no celebrities, no monetary value.’ Meg turned to glare at him, trying to get him to shut up, but Gregor kept going. ‘I mean, you told us that you’re the son of Zeus, but I haven’t seen anything to prove it! Why stay here if you could be up in the clouds, surrounded by goddesses and all heaven has to offer?’

Meg groaned. She was painfully reminded at this moment of why she’d been so damn tired of this man’s existential crisis. It turned him into an asshole. Hercules shifted uncomfortably and Meg decided to interrupt Gregor’s questions, but then he asked,

‘And how do you know Megara?’

There it was. The first connection. She’d hoped that no one had noticed, but of course they had. If they understood their previous relations, they’d might also make the connections between the disaster and herself. She was already the woman who turned up out of the blue and crashed into the ocean the morning after one of Greece’s worst natural disasters. If she’d known the man who saved Greece, then…

Meg stared at Hercules, wondering if he’d expose her. He looked into her eyes, a curious quirk of his eyebrows, as if checking in to see what she wanted. Meg minutely shook her head, instantly feeling ashamed for hiding the truth.

‘You wanna tell the story?’ Hercules offered gently and Meg could have kissed him right then and there. Right on his full lips. Sosthenes and Althea, who’d been wandering around the room, occasionally sitting down by the table to listen, perked up marginally. Had Meg really been so secretive about her past? Somehow she’d felt like an open scroll, desperately trying to seal herself. Was she that much of a closed-off, boring and unfriendly person?

Before she managed to start, Hercules caught her attention. He gave her one of his sweet, sunny smiles that made her insides go warm. She could do this. She could at least talk about the parts of her past that weren’t completely ruined and dirty. About their first meeting, about her getting him off work early to play hooky. He grinned at her story and it made her laugh at more than one occasion. They pretend-argued over whether she’d actually screamed of fear during her first ride on Pegasus or not. 

She’d forgotten just how easy it was to talk to him, before. He was always close to laughter, spinning every story into something positive and finding new things to talk about. Her heart hammered as they started to drive the conversation away from them and onto Gregor himself. Meg couldn’t help but steal glances at him, his glowing face, those blond curls at his forehead. She wanted to card her fingers through his hair. What did it smell like?

It was only about an hour when Hercules stood up to retire. He smiled at her and nodded to the people next to him. Meg wanted to follow him upstairs, but he swiftly turned and made a beeline towards the exit. Maybe he was going for a breath of fresh air. The gods knew it was stuffy and warm in this house. Meg decided after a moment that she wanted to speak to him and needed to leave as well. Her world still spinning, she pushed herself off the bench, paid her respects to the hostess and stumbled outside.

Her head was buzzing from excitement and wine. There was a certainty in her chest that told her to _just go for it. Do what Calliope did and just tell him. Show him that he belongs with you. You can have it all. You actually can._

She walked around the street, down towards the stables and looked around. At first there were only braziers dimly lighting up her path, but then she was nearly blinded by a sharp light bursting out of the stables. She had to shield her eyes with her hand, seeing absolutely nothing for a moment. Slowly making her way to the light, she listened for any sounds of Wonderboy. Perhaps something had happened and he was signalling--

Then she heard a booming, deep voice that she’d only experienced once before. 

One year ago.

‘ _Son,it is time to come back home. You’ve been here for far too long now, I’m afraid you’ll get stuck if you stay any longer.’_

‘ _Father, I--’_ Hercules began, but was immediately interrupted by Zeus’ demanding voice.

‘ _Son. Let’s. go. Home.’_

Meg hid behind a hovel, listening and forcing her shaking legs to keep her upright.

 _Home_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calliope is all for the drama, but it works very well on Alexis.
> 
> Sorry for the long wait, I'm still working on this story but I'm finding it difficult to get time to write hence the hiatus. I'll still finish it of course!


	13. The week when many things happened

Meg cursed up a storm as she tried, and failed, to avoid the deep puddles that had gathered the night before. Sunshine was hinting at the horizon, promising a warmer, and drier, day. That was a good sign, since the market and the docks were going to be full of merchants and traders for the next week. Ianos had been talking about it non-stop, excited to finally meet some new people, he’d said. 

Althea had to make sure that the marketplace ran as smoothly as possible and that no black markets were doing business. She was more irritated than ever and refused any help. 

Meg, who’d come to know her better by now, decided to show up in the morning with food and two helping hands. As long as she didn’t call it ‘help’, she could walk alongside the old woman and do as much as she could. 

It wasn’t just a case of tidying up the roads. They had to collect inventory checks from every stall and make sure any animals up for trade were marked for sale. The process was strange to Meg, who’d just acclimated herself to the life of a fisherman. But it was a welcome change. 

She hadn’t seen Hercules in a few days. He’d been taking Pegasus on long flights, helping to ensure that the roads were clear for travel. There hadn't been any greater storms for a while, but he'd check in case rotten trees had blocked the roads. 

It had been quite a relief, to be honest. 

When called on by his father, he’d told him that he’d had to stay for a little while longer. From Meg's hiding spot behind a building, she imagined that Zeus wasn't all that convinced of his son, but seemed to think better of it. After this meeting, however, Hercules had kept his distance, seemlingly deep in thought. Perhaps wondering when he could go back. 

In a way she shouldn’t have been surprised, nor disappointed. He was a god, after all. Not made for this harsh world on Earth. What else could she do at this point, other than accept it and enjoy the moments she’d get with him?

It was high noon by the time she returned to Sosthenes. The men were gathered at the small market outside the warehouse, sharing freshly baked bread that filled her nostrils as she approached. 

Their break was longer than usual and Meg couldn’t stop talking, feeling more social than she’d had in a while. She was just giving up on the whole moping-thing that she had been doing. After all, Wonderboy was still here, and she had friends now. 

People were mostly excited about the upcoming weeks, but it was important to do inventory, check equipment and transport, making sure that everything was still working the way it should. That, and the yearly taxes that were coming up, were on everybody’s minds. 

Someone wondered whether the theban merchant’s guild would turn up with the royal army again, making Meg’s heart momentarily stuttered when they all turned their heads towards her. The night of the invasion had become a sort of blurry memory for her and she’d hoped the rest of town had forgotten it by this time. Of course they wouldn’t have.   
‘You think they’d try something again?’ Ianos murmured. Meg’s stomach twisted itself into a knot. She swallowed the bite of bread in her mouth, feeling as if it could lodge in her throat. They had been lucky that she’d caught the captain by surprise, but there was a nagging sensation in her chest warning her that her father wouldn’t put their dispute to rest.

‘Of course not,’ she answered dismissively and dipped another chunk in olive oil. ‘Like I’ve said before, I’m pretty much dead to my family anyway. They just wanted to make sure I wasn’t planning on marching into Thebes with my own army.’ It made the men around her relax and they started chatting about fishing or something. Meg laughed along with them and prayed that nobody noticed her hands shaking.

Alexis finally showed up in time for afternoon cleanup, correcting her undershirt that had skidded out of place, adjusting the hair that had fallen out of her braid. Meg recognized that motion, had seen her do it countless of times.Usually they’d been askew because of her. She smirked as she caught Alexis’ eye, causing the woman to stick out her tongue. 

‘How grown up of you,’ Meg teased and walked next to her. ‘I take it you and Calliope have finally made up?’ Alexis eyed her, looking uncertain but Meg waved it off. ‘It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s good to see that lovers can reunite, after all.’ 

‘I’m sorry, Meg,’ Alexis said. Meg found that she really didn’t care anymore, as long as she could have her friend back. She reached an arm around Alexis’ shoulder and squeezed it tight.

‘It’s alright, especially if I don’t have to see the both of you staring at each other like puppies begging for food,’ she added, which made Alexis relax the tiniest bit. ‘And as long as Calliope is fine with us hanging out as friends. Right?’

‘Y-yes of course,’ Alexis stammered, nodding her head vigorously and turning to choke Meg in a tight, bearlike hug. Meg had to pat her hand on her back to release her grip a little. ‘I’m sorry, I was just…’ Alexis mumbled into Meg’s shoulder, ‘I was so scared you might not forgive me,’ she finished. Meg had to look up at her friend’s face.

‘Hey, you are not  _ that  _ amazing, miss!’ She answered, playfully flicking her finger at Alexis’ forehead. It made them both laugh. The rest of the day became significantly better as Meg and Alexis walked around town, carrying groceries and smoking fish outside the warehouse. She listened to her friend talk animatedly about her lover and was temporarily relieved of her own feelings. 

The sun was beginning to set by the time the first ship arrived. While others were retiring for the evening, Meg joined all merchants, fishmongers and traders by the water. The Athenian ship docked and the harbour became flooded with new people. It was exciting to watch from a distance, as Meg got to see Althea in action, once again. She was a good host and a respected leader, she thought. Alexis and Calliope stood next to Meg, holding hands and observing as people shook hands, greeting old acquaintances and laughing. 

Hercules was down by the ships that kept coming, offering to help people carry things. At one point, a merchant stopped still in her tracks and stared at him, before approaching and throwing her hand out in greeting.

‘By the Gods, if it isn’t the hero-in-training!’ the woman greeted and Hercules, surprised, shook her hand. ‘Seems you’ve come a long way from high school--’ she began and he instantly looked like he wanted to flee, embarrassment practically glowing off of him. Meg smiled and reminded herself to ask about it later. If he’d still be around for it

.

The following days were stressful as well as tiring. Everyone stayed up long after dusk, trading, carrying and socializing. Zoe had a field day greeting every single person she met with. Meg found that having a strange, large dog set its eyes on you and run straight towards you would be awfully scary. It still made her bite back laughter whenever the old dog terrified big, burly men on the streets. At least they’d know better than to try anything with her by now. 

At the end of the third day, the first few ships had begun to set sail, leaving for new places, and farmers across the island were entering the town. By now the novelty of it all had worn off and the young ones who’d been so interested in the new people had started to go back to their regular lives. 

Meg relaxed, finding a hobby in observing Hercules from a distance as he kept impressing the townsfolk with his strength. They’d catch each other’s eye, smiling briefly as they passed one another and decidedly ignored the elephant in the room. If she ignored the pang of unease that made itself reminded every now and then, she could pretend that what they were doing was… courting. 

One large ship arrived late in the evening and given its size, there were quite a number of people onboard. Meg was next to Althea, who’d barely had a few hours of sleep the night before and threatened to fall over at any moment. She’d finally cracked under pressure and asked Meg to accompany her. Of course, she’d made it sound like she wanted Meg to learn how the work was meant to be done, as if they’d suddenly become teacher and pupil. Meg didn’t really mind and told Althea teasingly that she could bring a chair for her. That had earned her a smack in the back of her head.

The captain of the ship strode out, greeting them and motioned for the men on the ship to start unloading. He barked out orders and scanned the place, almost completely missing Althea. Meg had a bad feeling about him. His look was too intense. 

Her unease was confirmed when the captain approached them and announced that he wanted to talk to Calliope, demanding that she show her face. Whatever was coming, it was about to get ugly, Meg thought with a chill down her spine. If this was who she thought it was...

‘Father!’ Calliope gasped as she broke through the crowd of traders that had gathered. Her eyes were wide, her hair tied in knots that looked very upper-class, and also like they were a last-minute effort. Had she seen the ship on the horizon? ‘What are you doing here?’

‘And what are  _ you  _ doing, you little brat?’ he spat, completely ignoring the scandalized gasps around him. Meg unconsciously moved closer to Althea, feeling no desire to be in this man’s way. In the corner of her eye she saw Alexis peeking around a corner. ‘I want you to stop this nonsense and come home right now!’ 

‘Father..’ Calliope began, her tone calm as if talking to a petulant child. ‘I told you, I’m not coming back. You’ll have to find some other way to mend your bonds with Athens. I’m out!’ Her hands were shaking and Meg couldn’t blame her. Her father was built like a brick wall, broad shoulders and impressive mass. She instinctively backed away from him as he passed her and towered over his daughter. Their conversation reminded her of one she’d had before. 

_ ‘If I say, ‘I want Wonderboy’s head on a platter, you say…?’’ _

The memory caused her to shudder. 

‘You are my daughter!’ the captain threatened, pointing a finger in her face. ‘You will do as you’re told and come home with me, right--’

‘No!’ Calliope interrupted him, her voice like steel. ‘I am staying here. Father, I will not go with you. I’m sorry to say this, but the daughter you thought you had is dead.’ Her eyes flashed dangerously and suddenly it was clear that these two were related. 

No matter how her father yelled, she refused to back down. 

‘The only place I belong in now is right here.’ She turned to her side as her voice softened, locking eyes with Alexis, who was doing her best to not look absolutely terrified. ‘With her.’ Calliope turned back to her father with a look of sympathy. ‘I’m sorry that I’m making life difficult for you, but this is the path I’m walking and if you want any chance of staying in my life, then you’ll have to accept it. Because…’ she hesitated. Meg’s heart pounded, unsure of what was coming next. ‘Because I’m going to marry her.’ 

Alexis’ eyes widened, a surprised smile on her face. There was a collective intake of air, followed by hushes of whispers. This was going to be the gossip of the week, for sure. Meg had the impression that Calliope was spontaneous, impulsive and brash. She had not, however, foreseen this.

‘Callie?’ Alexis said, barely above a whisper as she approached her lover. Meg held her breath. It felt as if they were watching the climax of a drama at the amphitheatre. People around them had stopped talking, now unabashedly staring at the scene unfolding. The man that was Calliope’s father glared daggers at Alexis, who reached for her hand. 

Alexis’ eyes were shiny with tears, holding Calliope’s hands towards her chest. The whole thing was ridiculous, Meg thought, though she couldn’t help herself but smile stupidly at the happy couple. The captain hesitated, looked around where the townsfolk had gathered. 

Meg grabbed Althea by the arm, though she didn’t need any coercion, and walked over to the scene. They stepped in front of Alexis and Calliope, staring up at the captain. His eyes were bulging, as if they threatened to pop out of their sockets when Meg and Althea started the human wall, protecting the couple. Gregor was soon to follow, dragging along Ianos and the other fishmongers along the way.

‘Sorry,’ Althea said as there were enough people behind them. ‘You’re free to stay for the markets and trades, but I’m afraid the girl stays with us.’

It was an absurd experience, like something out of a play written by a hormone-ridden, lovesick teenager, but the captain cautiously looked across the wall of people and nodded in defeat.

***

‘You’re telling me,’ Hercules said slowly, as if his mind was struggling to catch on, ‘That Callie just proposed to Alexis, in front of her dad… And I missed it?’ He let out a loud, dramatic sigh. ‘Man, I leave town for  _ one hour _ ….’ 

Meg couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. They were on their way to the edge of town, doing some routine controls of the perimeters. Well, Hercules was. Meg just felt like tagging along, craving to get some time away from the crowds. And to relay the previous night’s drama.

‘She sure doesn’t waste any time, that one,’ Meg said. She had to give it to her - That woman knew what she wanted and went for it, head first. Hercules shook his head.

‘Wow, still. I can’t imagine what Alexis must be feeling about now.’

‘Yeah. I haven’t talked to her yet.’ Meg frowned. ‘They just went inside when her father had left. Everyone was staring at them, and I guess you don’t really want an audience for this crap. They still haven’t shown up today.’ 

Hercules chuckled and kicked a pebble down the road, causing Zoe to launch at it. Zoe barked happily and wagged her tail with such force that she barely could use her hind legs. She scampered over to Hercules, trying to drag his tunic forward as if she thought they were going to slow. He playfully wacked her muzzle off of him, just firm enough for her to back off. She ran around them in circles until Meg picked up an old twig in the grass and threw it as far as she could. They watched the dog sprint towards it.

‘So what are you going to do about your father?’ Meg suddenly asked, surprising herself with the question. Hercules stiffened beside her.

‘Um. I-I don’t know.’ He finally answered. ‘He wants me to come back home now but…’ He hesitated. Meg looked over at him. He glanced at her. ‘I’m just not ready yet. Especially now if there’s gonna be a wedding soon.’

‘That could take months before they even set a date,’ Meg smiled.’Though going by their relationship record, they might just get married tomorrow.’ Hercules barked out a laugh and Meg chuckled.

They turned quiet again, pausing to greet farmers on the road. Something hung over her, like she needed to put something out there. She wasn’t ready to ask.

The week was drawing to a close, as most ships and caravans were leaving. Contacts had been made, friendships built and most importantly, new trading routes were created. Meg watched from Althea’s balcony as one by one, the large trading barges were setting sails. she was interrupted in her own thoughts by a man calling her name outside of the house. She broke her gaze from the sea and stared down at a short, thin man waving a scroll.

‘I been lookin’ all over for ya!’ He called, gathering momentum and throwing the scroll up to the railing. Meg caught it with both hands, confused and curious of what was going on. Was it a wedding invitation? She rolled her eyes at the thought.

‘Care to let me in on who it’s from?’ she yelled back at him. He shrugged his shoulders.

‘Couldn’t say, Miss!’ he said, ‘Mighty secretive fella. But it should be evident in the letter, I s’pose!’ 

With that he turned on his heels and marched off. Meg followed him with her eyes until he was out of sight. Who would send a messenger for her? Certainly not anyone in town. She observed the papyrus in her hands, noticed the fine fibre of the texture. The very familiar mark on it. The ribbon tied around it, keeping the scroll from unfolding. With shaking hands, she unfolded it, angling its surface to the soft light of the brazier on the balcony. 

_ Megara _

_   
_ _ I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to return home immediately. I have become terminally ill. Our palace physician tells me it’s a matter of months that I have left. Now is as good a time as any to reconcile and put our past differences behind us.  _

Meg scoffed, fighting the urge to throw the scroll into the fire. It was just typical of her father to threaten her with his own death. 

_ From what I’ve gathered you don’t seem that keen on coming home. Therefore I find it imperative that you understand the severity of the situation. There have been rumours - ugly rumours, I concede - of your involvement in the natural disasters last year. a lot of people have died and now their families long for justice.  _

A cold drop of sweat traveled from the back of her neck down her spine. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest, her face burned. He couldn’t know. He just couldn’t.

_ I’d like to think that you are still that innocent girl I knew all those years ago, but should these rumours be released into the public eye, I can’t promise that you’ll get out of it unharmed. Not to mention what your new friends might think of you. _

_ So that’s why I hope you see reason and come home now. I’d hate to let everyone know what you’ve done to them. _

_ Love, _

_ Your father _

Meg read the scroll again. Rolled it up. Carefully sealed it with the ribbon. Her hands were sweating. 

What was she going to do now? 

Meg ran down the streets, scroll in her hands. People were leaving to go home and she had to shuffle between citizens going in the opposite direction. Approaching the edge of town where carts and carriages were lined up, she saw that one of them was still loading. The men looked exhausted as their boss shouted orders. Meg marched towards them. One of the workers observed her curiously. 

‘Can I help you, miss?’ he asked politely. Meg tried to control her shaking hands.

‘Are you going to Thebes anytime soon?’ she asked, thankful that her voice didn’t quiver. The man eyed her suspiciously.

‘Er, well yes. It’s our next stop.’

‘Would you mind keeping this and make sure it gets to the palace in Thebes, once you’ve arrived?’ with those words, she stretched out the letter that she’d hurriedly written, a bit clumsily tied and sealed. The man carefully watched her. ‘You’ll be well compensated if you do,’ she added and showed him the drachmae in her other hand. The man quickly glanced over his shoulder, as if making sure that nobody was watching, before accepting the scroll and the money.

‘Consider it done, miss,’ he said, giving her a small bow. Meg thanked him, bidding him farewell and walked away. 

She didn’t know the chances of the letter actually getting to her father, but it was worth it if she’d get more time to think. His threat had shaken her up and she had no idea of how to approach this problem. Where would she even start?

She thought of Hercules, wanting more than ever to talk to him. Have him reassure her. But there was no point in that. He wasn’t hers. Never had been. If she was going to make a life for herself, she had to take charge.


	14. The last night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst, angst, angst galore - You have been warned

‘ _You’re not coming with me?’_ Zeus’ voice reverberated through the clay walls of Hercules’ room. 

It was a small room, but it fit a bed into the corner, and that was all Hercules needed. He’d been here for weeks now, almost settling into a routine of sorts. His room was located upstairs in Lyko's inn - a homey taverna with rented spaces accessed from the balconies. A narrow window above his bed overlooked the stables outside and gave him a nice view of the marketp 

In retrospect, with his father’s impressive stature taking up most of its limited space, he probably should have offered to speak outside instead. Distantly, he imagined Lyko himself, or that superstitious old fisherman entering the room and being nearly blinded by the sight of two divine beings blasting light from all over them. Had he not been so tense from Zeus' company, he might have laughed at the thought.

As it was, he was getting ready to talk his father down from dragging him back to Olympus. There weren't a lot of things he could blame his hesitancy on now. There were no real threats looming over this place. His earthly parents and Phil had gotten their visits from him as well. He’d done far more than what was demanded of his situation, and Zeus knew it. 

Hercules wasn’t sure if Hermes had confessed to Zeus that he’d told his son everything. Maybe he should have taken it up with him, demand an explanation of sorts, but something inside him refused to let it slip out. The knowledge that his own father could have done something so sinister, something that crossed so many boundaries… 

His thoughts briefly fluttered to his other father. His mother. Suddenly the old, run down farm with its crooked roof and creaking mill, was clear as day in the front of his mind.

His earthly parents always looked after him as much as they could, even knowing that he was a difficult boy to raise. When he’d messed up, accidentally punching a hole through the kitchen wall or lifting the entire base of their house in order to get the toy that had scrambled beneath it, they’d never done more than reprimand him. Always thinking about him. His heart tugged at the thought as he stared into his father’s eyes. He didn’t know why. 

Zeus fixed him with his gaze and repeated the question.

‘I..’ He stopped. What did he want to say? ‘I can’t just yet.’ Footsteps quietly passed the door and made him turn around briefly, still thinking up an excuse. Any kind of excuse. Judging by the light steps, he figured it was Alexis, doing her best to sneak out of Callie’s room. 

‘ _And why is that?’_ Zeus asked, and there was clear tension in his voice. Hercules turned back to his father.

‘Well, I… Two women in town - my friends, actually- they’re getting married soon,’ his words stumbled only a little as he straightened his back. Zeus narrowed his eyes, taking a long pause before opening his mouth.

‘ _And when will their wedding be?’_ he asked through clenched teeth. Oh, Hercules was really pushing his luck. Something about it made him feel more bold as he continued.

‘In a week, I think. They were adamant on waiting as little time as possible. Callie. Umm, one of the brides, has made me promise to help her with preparations.’ He had to stop his fingers from fidgeting as he awaited his father’s response. He wasn’t sure whether he could be forced back to Olympus, and he’d preferred not to take any chances. 

Zeus’ shoulders were tense, hitching high up, but then he let out a long sigh and shrugged.

‘ _Alright son. But you’ll come with me afterwards?’_ He tried.

Hercules nodded. A week should be enough time to think things through. Zeus seemed pleased with this.

Hercules had decidedly not explained that Callie and Alexis would be wed in less than four days. It was better this way, to let the women enjoy the high of marriage before he left. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally steal any of the attention from them. 

He also needed to speak to Meg. His feelings about their whole situation were… mixed. The town had transformed back into its normal, calm self by the time she’d begun to withdraw from the crowds. Distancing herself.

It was disappointing. Hercules enjoyed their conversations. Since they’d locked eyes in the stables, their conversations had slowly, gently, become less stilted and a bit easier. It was difficult to remember just how disoriented and confused he’d been on his arrival. His mind had been all over the place, as if someone had plucked it out, shaken it for an hour and then put it back. No matter how hard he tried to focus on what was going on, he seemed incapable of thinking any further back than the last hour or so.

But day by day, the fog in his mind would clear just a little and he would remember tidbits of his mortal life. Suddenly he didn’t just remember Meg, but Phil, and his parents. The Athenian trader had triggered memories of his High school years, in such a rushed way that he’d almost imagined himself back there, at Prometheus academy. 

The memories came back in fragments until he could recognize his old, mortal self. The human version of himself was still blurred around the edges, but sometimes he could feel that person knocking on his chest. 

After Hermes had so graciously spilled the beans, he’d been awake for days, trying to understand his father would do it. Was it because he’d been mortal for so long, and that… drug had been a sort of passage through immortality? Or had Zeus already suspected that his son might not adjust to the divine lifestyle very well?

The thought of his own father corrupting his memories and his personality was terrifying. Even scarier was the idea that maybe godhood was what had turned him into a stranger to the mortal world. The gods were so similar to humans, and yet… 

Callie rapped on his door, calling his name. It put a smile on his face and he opened the door, happy to be distracted from his own mind. Her black coils were tied back in a tight headband keeping hair out of her face, a face that screamed ‘impatient’. 

Their height difference was almost comical whenever they stood next to each other, her head barely reaching up to his shoulder and making her constantly craning her neck when they talked. Callie had a tendency to call him ‘the gentle giant’ to tease him, mostly because she always got a rise out of him for it.

It seemed that she was the only one, apart from Meg, who actually noticed his skin glowing. It was a strange addition to being immortal, perhaps a statement to other gods, knowing how to recognize each other. The other people he’d met in town acted completely oblivious and had accepted him as just another celebrity. He didn’t mind, really, but knowing that he had a friend who saw him like he was made his time spent there just a little easier.

They sat down at the dining hall in the inn, closest to open doors, where warm spring air floated through. He appreciated just how enveloped in her wedding she was, as he had been grilled on information about his own love life since the day they’d met. It was next to impossible to keep things from her, given that she was one of the most direct people he’d ever talked to. Almost nothing seemed to faze her, not even the most intimate subjects that made his face and neck burn from embarrassment.

When they had found out that Alexis and Meg had been… Well, intimate, it had turned Hercules’ insides upside down, making him want to forget and surpress all of his thoughts and emotions, whereas Callie turned determined. She had said that there was nowhere to go from here but up. Finding all kinds of excuses to bond with Meg, getting closer to Alexis, Callie had worked herself to the bone in order to have attention from Alexis. Meanwhile, Hercules had tried to untangle the confusing messages in his head, working hard to not be consumed by his own jealousy. 

It was this determination, this crude honesty, that he liked so much about her. It was also one of the most frustrating parts of her that she displayed. Especially when that determination was fixed on him. 

‘...What?’ he said after having her keen eyes on him for a long moment. ‘Do I have something in my teeth?’ He held up his hand in front of his mouth. She flapped her hand at him in dismissal.

‘No, dummy. I asked you what you’re going to do about Cat Eye,’ she said, rolling her eyes. Hercules’ mouth twitched. It was a strange nickname to give someone, he thought.

‘I’m not gonna do anything, Callie.’ It was true. His history with her, the parts he figured must be his old memories, was infected. He must have felt something for Meg, but his feelings were… not gone, per se, but muddled. He didn’t understand it anymore, which frustrated him to no end. 

Before Olympus, there hadn’t been enough words in the greek language to express his need to be close to her. He could remember the feeling of living on this strange high, stupid and happy. Every time he crossed paths with Meg, there was something tugging at the back of his mind, like he’d forgotten something important. He had vague memories of his heart hammering away at his chest, of locking eyes with her and feeling his knees give in. 

It must have been love, right? 

Callie had taken one look at Meg and declared that it was love, alright - Though whether that stemmed from her intuition or from the need to separate Meg from Alexis, Hercules wasn’t sure. 

He and Meg had comforted each other in that old warehouse, feeling closer than before and yet he’d found it difficult to feel… anything. She was a stranger to him, someone so far removed from his reality that it felt like he was performing in a farce. Her eyes, that he’d fantasized about so many times, in the quiet loneliness of his villa, made him feel guilty. For what, he didn’t quite know.

He’d been forcing himself into her company sometimes, hoping to make sense of it all, but it only triggered small glimpses into something that could have been what he’d felt. Maybe it was all just a ruse, something he’d started to tell himself out of fear of loneliness.

That was why he’d decided to do nothing about her, for now. 

Callie looked disappointed and drew in a sharp breath as if getting ready to go on a tangent. Hercules stopped her with a hand in from of her. 

‘Please, can’t we talk about your wedding instead?’ Callie frowned and her eyes searched his face. He did his best to look impassive, but could feel how obvious his feelings were written across his face.

‘You really need to talk to her,’ Callie simply said, but turned the conversation back to the wedding.

Grateful to have his wish granted, he leaned back on his chair, making mental notes of what Callie was listing for him. Flowers, plates, wine but not the cheap one from the guy around the corner…

Despite buying a little more time on Earth, Hercules found that the days leading up to the big day had flown by. Turned out that planning an event like this took an enormous amount of time and manpower. He’d almost been joined at the hip with the brides to be, knowing he’d just feel guilty unless he helped them as much as he could. He was their friend, and he also didn’t really get exhausted the way mortals did.

The days pressed forward and by the morning of the wedding he opened the doors to Lyko’s, taking in the floral arrangements, the well-placed seats for the guests, and not to mention the absolutely perfect weather. Perhaps too perfect, he thought and frowned at the blue sky, suddenly wondering if they should have picked a shadier part of the lot.

Althea had run errands with him, and though he was slightly scared of her, and the constant scowl on her face, she seemed to have taken a liking to him, using a less gruffier voice when she spoke to him. She walked out on the balcony, putting down a vase of bright coral flowers, twisted her back to crack something and huffed. 

‘As much as I hate to admit it, hero boy…’ she shook her head fondly, ‘that Calliope has some good tastes.’ Hercules had to stifle a laughter at the tension in her voice. 

Althea made it clear from the start that Callie was not wanted in her town, not according to her, and it’d taken a lot of work, and buttering up, for Callie to finally have the woman’s blessing. She was awfully protective of Alexis, which Hercules thought was very sweet.

‘I know, I wish I had that eye for details,’ he chuckled and straightened out a bench that stood too far to the right.

**

Alexis and Callie's wedding was just as extravagant as Callie herself and as jovially friendly as Alexis. There wasn't much formality to the whole thing, as no one in town knew what to do when two women married each other - with neither land or property to share between them, nor any fathers to shake hands as an agreement was settled. 

Hercules found he enjoyed this a lot more- a wedding that stemmed from love and commitment, not bargain. The words spoken were less about who owned who and more of what made the brides love each other so much. His own face broke into a soppy smile, he could feel the stretch in his cheeks, when Callie suddenly started bawling during her vows. 

The happy couple shared a joyous kiss, that slowly turned into groping, making their friends whistle and calling on them to get a room. It was greeted with a rude gesture from both the brides, still kissing passionately. They looked ridiculously happy, and Hercules finally understood what people meant when they said someone was ‘glowing’.

He risked a glance over to where Meg was, leaning over by the far wall. Her stance was impassive, yet her eyes twinkled in amusement. 

She had been in a relationship with Alexis. Yet she hadn’t given a whole lot of vibes that would indicate jealousy of her. Despite the humiliation of being dumped for someone else, she refused to let it touch her.

Sunlight streamed through the tree next to her, its light undulating like waves across her dark hair and violet eyes. The hair illuminated by the sun had red tones in it.

A warm feeling bloomed through his chest. A sudden urge to sigh. To somehow save this image of her, right there under the tree, looking far more comfortable and relaxed than he’d seen her… maybe ever? He had to look away and pretend to focus on the happy couple, that delightedly announced that they were officially married and that the party was about to start.

Alexis surprised Callie by lifting her up in her arms, carrying her through the rows of guests and made sure to sneak in soft kisses. It didn’t take much for the guests to take them up on their offer. The word ‘party’ was they would have had to say, to be honest.

The younger crowd popped open every single wine bottle and ale craters, letting each goblet flow over with spirits and making sure people were ready to make this a wedding they’d never forget.

The rest of the evening proceeded into a grand feast. In truth, it was more of an end-all party that would last long into the morning hours. The happy couple managed to sneak away at least twice, escaping into Callie’s room to do gods’ knew what. Ianos had commented on it, telling everyone in his vicinity that he’d accidentally walked in on them in the lavatory, of all places.

It was said with fondness and was followed with a chorus of, ‘Good for them!’ and ‘They’re the lucky ones.’ Still, it burned on Hercules’ cheeks at the subject and he silently begged the images in his head go away. In the corner of his eye, he saw Meg enter the dining hall, an arm across her midsection and a cup elegantly held in her other hand. 

She caught him looking, and though her reservation had draped over her face once more, her eyes, so aloof, turned soft for a moment. She raised her cup slightly in greeting, and he found it difficult to breathe, quickly dropping his gaze to the floor. Looking back up, he’d lost sight of her. 

Probably for the best.

Alexis and Callie emerged from wherever they were hiding, toasting with every person they passed. A few of the town’s musicians picked up their instruments and soon enough, there were just as many people dancing on tables as on the floor. The sound turned louder by the minute. He was eventually swept away in a flurry of people, singing and dancing, and he decided to just go with the flow.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying himself. Once during the evening Callie stumbled up to him, Alexis’ hand in her own. She grinned widely, a contagious smile, and stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. It made him nervous and he pulled her into a big, one-armed hug. Alexis joined on the other side for a quick ‘thank you’.

‘Having a good time?’ Alexis asked, cheeks flush from excitement. 

‘You betcha! Good thing we moved the tables to the sides, too,’ he answered, nodding over to where Ianos and his friends were hitting the dancefloor, singing and laughing. 

‘Yeah, whoever planned this whole thing must have thought of everything,’ Alexis teased, nudging Callie playfully, who answered by sticking out her tongue. 

‘Also,’ Callie added, ‘This party is a great time for some… conversation,’ she raised her brows pointedly and Hercules frowned. Alexis looked mildly confused and he relaxed, knowing that Callie had managed to keep his secret for now. It didn't really matter anyway, when he was about to leave.

Hercules realized with a twinge of anxiety, that he had yet to figure out what he wanted to do. The stress had taken a backseat for the celebration, but now his thoughts caught up with him. 

Releasing himself from the crowd, he opened the doors to the balcony, closing them gently behind him. Outside the air brought floral scents of lilacs and lavender, gentle wisps of night air caressing his toga. He leaned against the railing, dipping his head onto his forearms. His breathing was ragged, coming in short gasps.

What in Gods’ names was he doing?

“Gettin’ tired of the fifth rendition of ‘The farmer and his ale’ too?’

He froze. Her presence took over every space around him. Meg came up behind him, leaning a slender arm against the railing. He dared to turn his gaze toward her and her curious eyes. ‘It’s just getting more and more crowded in there,’ she huffed, taking a slow sip from her cup. A strand of hair had loosened from her neat hairdo, curling at the nape of her neck. It drew his attention to her bare shoulders, her dark blue dress cutting low at her back. He gulped.

‘Yeah, I’m-I’m… I needed some air,’ he managed. She smiled fondly at him, he thought. She nudged his elbow, and the touch made his heart skip a beat. He heard a most undignified noise coming out of his mouth. She snapped her head up at his face, an incredulous smile spreading across her face. She watched him and he eventually understood that she had asked him something.

‘...What?’ He asked, dumbfounded. It made her smile wider and shake her head.

‘I said, what are you thinking about?’ she laughed. Her fingers lightly touched his arm. They were so delicate that his arm looked stupidly large.

‘I-umm…’ he paused. Stared out at the ocean. The party inside was raging. He could vaguely hear Gregor demanding another round. ‘I’ve just been thinking about… the future.’ he finished. Meg nodded, as if pondering his words.

‘Weddings tend to do that,’ she murmured. They stood next to each other, the silence stretching between them. Eventually, Meg sighed. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever want to get married.’ It sounded like she was thinking out loud. He didn’t know what to answer, so he just made a sort of acknowledging hum. Meg drank from her cup again. ‘Maybe I’m not meant to have a good life.’

The words confused him so much that he had to go over her sentence a few times. It was jarring to hear something like that spoken on a wedding, even with the happy couple too far away to hear.

Didn’t she have a nice life, though? He frowned. 

‘What’s going on?’ 

Meg shrugged in answer. Her eyes were clouded with that distanced look, the one that told him she was fighting something in her mind. He wanted to do something, to comfort her, but his arms lay loose at his sides. 

‘Meg?’ 

She cautiously turned, her catlike eyes were focused on him and his breath caught.

‘Yeah?’ she mumbled. The sounds drained out around them. 

‘I have to return to Olympus in three days.’ His voice didn’t wobble. Small mercies. ‘My father is impatient with me, so…’ he shrugged. ‘Yeah.’

Meg’s eyes flickered to his shoulders, taking his words in.

‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Well, I can understand him. They must all miss you terribly. Though I think you’ll be quite missed here, too--’

‘What if I stayed on Earth?’ he let out the words in a rush, afraid that he might not dare speak them later, eyes fixed on a spot right behind Meg.. ‘What if… with you, I mean. Together’ he added. 

Meg’s face paled. He didn’t think that was a good sign. 

‘You mean..’ she began, but stopped. ‘As a mortal?’ 

‘Um, yes?’ Suddenly he wished he hadn’t said anything, because Meg was withdrawing, dropping her gaze. He resisted the urge to close the space between them again. ‘Why-Why don’t you- Did I say something wrong?’ He stammered. Meg had her back turned to him. 

‘You don’t mean that. You don’t _want_ that’ Her voice was cold, almost mocking. It sounded strange in his ears. 

‘Why wouldn’t I?’ He insisted. ‘You don’t think I want to be here, with you?’ In truth, a part of him, the new, ugly part of him, wasn’t completely convinced. ‘I’m pretty sure I would have gone with you the first time, anyway.’ It didn’t sound as romantic as intended and Meg turned her head, scowling.

‘The first time,’ Meg answered, ‘The first time you and I…’ She swallowed. ‘We were something else. But the situation is different now. _We’re_ different.’

‘How is it different?’ he prompted, frustration egging him on. ‘I-I want to be with you, and if you would like, I mean…’ He couldn’t finish the sentence. The silence between them was palpable. Meg narrowed her eyes. He tried not to flinch.

‘I don’t want that pressure put on me, Wonderboy,’ she spat. It threw him off for a second.

‘How am I putting pressure on you?’ _What was he doing wrong?_

‘Oh, piss off,’ she hissed, but with a painful look on her face closed her eyes and breathed in, slowly, as if collecting herself. ‘You are giving up your home, your entire life, and then making it into a romantic fairy tale about me. Don’t say anything-’ she added, holding up her hand as he opened his mouth. ‘Tell me, Hercules. Let’s say you give up immortality to spend your life with me on Earth. What happens if I die prematurely?’

He didn’t understand the point of this.

‘What if we get together and I fall in love with someone else?’ she continued, in a deliberately casual way. His chest constricted from the tension. ‘Or something happens and we just… fall apart? Then what? Are you still going to look at your choices and be fine with them? Won’t you resent me for making you give up your dream? Your immortality?’

‘You can’t think like--’ Hercules began, but Meg cut him off.

‘I get that it’s not your intention, but knowing I am responsible for the biggest decision of your life, having that hanging over me… It’s not fair,’ she said. ‘You’re being unfair. I don’t want that on my conscience.'

He didn’t know why, but her reasoning started some ugly feeling inside of him, and he wanted to yell that she was wrong. In that moment, he really disliked her stubborn, jaded view of the world. 

'Who said I'd do it just for you?' he tried. There was no point.

Couldn’t they just try to be happy together?

Memories of their first meetings swirled in the back of his mind, making him hear conversations long gone, echoing through him. _Let’s just both do ourselves a favour and stop this before…_

'That's exactly what you were suggesting. It's not a good, balanced way to start a relationship.'

No. She had to be bluffing. He tried to think of something to say to her, but no words came out. There were two instincts battling in him. One wanted to yell, be angry and petty. Tell her that lying about your identity and motives from the moment they met hadn't been a good start on their relationship either.

The other part of him just wanted to cry in a corner. 

‘I don’t want to put that pressure on you, but I don’t want to live without you, either.’ His words rang true in his head as soon as he’d spoken them. The memories of her, of his feelings, were consuming him, drowning him, slowly as the rising tide. 

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Meg mumbled and stared resolutely away from him. ‘I am leaving tonight. And I’m not coming back. So there’s no point, really.’ 

‘What? Where’re you going?’ he asked, hating how small his voice sounded. 

‘Going back to my father,’ she said simply. 

‘Why? I thought--’ he began.

‘Why? Because I have to. Because I’m not a god, I’m just a mortal woman who got into a bad crowd and with a terrible family tree. I can’t go to my parents for guidance and help. I just have to figure out how to survive on my own.’

Hercules paused. With a sinking feeling in his gut, he opened his mouth.

‘Y-you don’t have to do it alone.’ He sounded like a child.

‘There’s no point, Wonderboy. Believe me, you’re better off without me.’

Meg’s eyes were sad. For a second he imagined that she would step closer to him and oh, how easy it would have been to simply embrace each other, to forget and kiss until the pain evaporated. His fingers twitched at his side.He stood still, and eventually Meg turned back to the doors, disappearing into the party.

His blood thrummed under his skin, and when he let go of the railing and parts of it came off, he realized just how tense he’d been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hercules: I am god. I have no feelings.  
> Meg: *exists*  
> Hercules: Oh shit *hearteyes*


	15. The root of it all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you that Keep reading, it honestly makes me so happy! Please comment if You have any thoughts or would like me to change tags or anything
> 
> Trigger warnings ahead!  
> For anyone who needs to protect their mental health:  
> This chapter mentions suicide and depicts panic attacks and general mental health issues. No one dies, though.
> 
> g!

Meg waded through the crowds of drunk people, the pleasant buzz from the wine gone after that conversation. She just had to keep walking, find Alexis and just... Be done with it.

Althea caught her arm, wondering what her rush was. Meg turned around, giving her the most reassuring smile she could muster, and even though the woman could see right through her, she nodded and let her go.

Alexis and Calliope were in the middle of the dancefloor, practically hanging on each other, swinging their bodies from side to side, drunk on love. At least Meg had helped bring two lovers together… Even if her own love life was doomed. She didn’t dare turn around in case Wonderboy had followed her inside, but somehow she found it unlikely.

She tapped Alexis on the shoulder and the woman reluctantly let go of her partner to greet her. Meg was swept into a bear hug that made her smile, despite everything. They had to know what they meant to her. Calliope joined in a clumsy fashion, her usual posture completely gone as she threw her arms around her. Meg staggered and straightened them up. She took in their faces- so happy, so alive. 

She realized with a tug in her heart just how much she was going to miss both of them.

‘Just came over to congratulate the Mrs and Mrs,’ she said. Alexis frowned, just slightly. 

‘You’re leaving?’ she asked. Meg had to keep her cool, still a good actress.

‘Shit, I’m sorry,’ she said, adding just a bit of slur to her words, ‘I think I downed the last cups too fast. I might have to call it a night,’ she smiled apologetically and her friends- Because at this point, she might as well consider Calliope one of her friends- laughed sympathetically with her.

‘Aight, Cateyes, but you know where to find us when the buzz wears off,’ Calliope smirked, resting her neat and jewelled hand on Meg's shoulder. Meg surprised herself by pulling them into a fierce hug and, holding back tears, she mumbled as evenly as she could,

‘I am. So. Happy for you guys.’

When she stepped outside and turned around to face the celebration, she almost had a change of heart. But in the end, she knew there was no turning back. She’d already made a deal with the farmers working the olive groves, paying them sufficiently to take her with them to Thebes. She just had to check on Zoe, leave the note on the table, explaining-

‘Where are you going?’

The voice belonged to Althea. She emerged from the shadows and caused Meg to jump. Her eyes were stern as she approached.

‘Home,’ Meg answered. 

‘Home,’ Althea repeated. She was not convinced, Meg thought and sighed. ‘What? I’ve told Alex that I was going, it’s fine--’ 

‘I talked to Thetis earlier this afternoon,’ Althea stated and Meg’s blood ran cold. She clenched and unclenched her fists. 

‘And?’ 

‘You know what I’m saying, girl.’ 

Meg was too tired, too fragile, to have this conversation with Althea. For a moment they simply stood there, Althea waiting. Meg sighed. 

‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

‘What are you hiding?’ Althea insisted. ‘Why are you leaving in the dead of night? Is it because of…’ she motioned with her head towards the party. Meg shook her head.

‘No! No, I’m… I’m happy for them. really, I am.’ She smiled but it felt fake. Althea was not impressed.

‘So spill the beans. Are you in trouble?’

‘No, not exactly. I…’ she rubbed at her face. ‘I can’t say. I’m sorry.’ She wished she was braver, prouder of who she was. But it was too difficult. Althea considered her closely, folding her arms over her chest. Meg sighed. ‘I’m… I’m going back to my father in Thebes. He wants me to come back and get ready to take over for him.’ The lie slipped easily off her tongue. 

‘I was wondering when this would come back to bite you. But you’re still leaving like a thief in the night?’ Althea’s voice dripped with disappointment. Meg flinched. Althea was too good, too firm in her principles, to understand Meg’s predicament. Yet it felt ugly to lie to her. Meg thought for a moment. She took in Althea’s face, her greying hair and the practical dress she wore to the wedding. Her heart ached.

Why couldn’t she just stay?

'You will be fine without me here,' She simply said, turning on her heels, walking as briskly as she could.

Meg had prepared for the ache inside of her as a direct result of leaving her friends behind. The near hysteria bubbling within her from saying goodbye to Zoe was so unexpected that she almost stayed. Zoe, that hyper energetic, silly, constantly covered in mud dog. Her tail wagged so hard when Meg entered that she nearly tripped over herself. It was difficult to pretend like it was just a regular night, like nothing was about to change.

Meg forced herself to sit in her usual spot by the fire, a hundred pounds of dog in her lap. She gently stroked Zoe's short fur, complaining as usual over how much she smelled.

'Have you been chasing hogs again?' she commented and investigated a particularly nasty piece of dried mud behind the dog's ears. 

No matter how badly she wanted Zoe with her, she knew it was better this way. There was no point in dragging an untrained dog who scared most people and would likely be used by Meg's father as some kind of bait. Knowing that she could stay here in town and be fed and looked after while running down the streets, chasing birds…

Even her own heartbeat hurt. She gave Zoe a short, but firm hug. The dog whined and tried to lick her face.

A few hours later, she kissed Zoe on the nose, grabbed the bag she’d prepared and left home. Zoe, who usually slept all night, didn’t take much notice, thankfully. 

It would take a while to walk up the hill to the olive groves. She passed the familiar streets, the trees and that special scent of salty air, lilacs and earth. This place was never meant for her. It was too wholesome.

***

The ride to Thebes was bumpy and far longer than she’d anticipated. The farmer and his wife were nice and didn’t ask any questions, but they kept talking about their crops and their olive oil, discussing which kind had been best for cooking this year.

Meg slept through most of the travels, but while they made up camp for the night and the farmers had fallen asleep, she lay on her back, thinking and trying not to cry. 

She missed her home deeply. Her bed. Althea. Alexis. 

Even Gregor, she thought with a small laugh. 

Wonderboy.

No. 

He would be gone from Earth in less than three days. She had truly fucked up any chance she’d ever had with him. Even if he’d actually meant it, that he would stay on Earth, he must have been completely put off by her reaction. 

He was infuriatingly naive sometimes. So oblivious to all the bad things that being a human encompassed. She couldn’t even bring herself to be upset about it for too long, thinking that it took a certain kind of person to see the bad in the world, but to focus on the good parts.

He deserved someone who understood him, who could look at the world through rose-colored glass too. 

A dry sob wrecked her chest and she pressed her hands against her mouth, forcing herself to shut up. The pain in her chest threatened to suffocate her, and for a moment she feared that she might die right there.

***

Her childhood home had at first glance not changed that much. The walls surrounding their gardens and the balconies were wellkept, the ivy vines well placed. Walking through the gates of the garden, her mind was hit with nostalgic memories of a childhood that had been not as bad as she had imagined it in her head. 

The flowers were not as vibrant as she remembered, probably due to the lack of care to the garden itself. The scent of early hibiscus filled the air. She wanted to see Haemon run across the tall grass again.

Standing there in the middle of the garden as an adult, it just looked dead.

She was greeted with the captain of the guard, whose face shone when he laid eyes on her. She gave him a warm smile and let him lift her up in a hug. They quickly went back to formal code, addressing each other by ‘Your highness’ and ‘Captain’. Side by side, he escorted her to the throne room, where she with ice in her heart found her father sitting at the far end of the hall. 

His aged face shook her to the core. Images of auburn hair and thick beard, broad shoulders and eyes that could pin anyone to the spot, flew out the window and were replaced by this…

His eyes were hard, his hair grey and she almost wasn’t sure that it was her own father she looked upon.

‘Father?’ she croaked. He looked up from the scroll he was reading and when he saw her he smiled. It wasn’t a welcoming smile, more like a threat. Her spine tingled, telling her to flee. The captain's eyes flickered nervously between them.

‘Megara,’ Creon spread his arms to her and she approached. He wasn’t trying to hug her, was he? 

No, he didn’t move any muscle, still on his throne. She caught the hint when he waited for her, and swallowing her own pride, reminding herself of why she was there, she bent down on one knee, reached for his hand and kissed it.

She hated these customs, always making her feel alienated from her own family. But tradition had been key growing up and there was some small comfort in knowing them by heart.

‘You look tired, my darling,’ Creon noted, taking her hand to help her stand up. He stood up too, motioning for the hallways. ‘Let me show you where you’ll sleep.’

Thew captain was dismissed with a nod, leaving them alone. The tension in the room was oppressive, with only one window overlooking the garden.

They walked together, Creon filling her in on what had happened since she'd left. It was eerily casual, as if his daughter wasn't here because of blackmail. Meg kept her back stiff and straight, noticing only at the end that she was mapping out the exits in every part of the building. She had her mouth snapped shut and only when they arrived at her bedchambers did she dare to ask.

'Father, why do you want me here?' the implication that he'd never before shown any particular paternal interest in her lay heavy in her words. His sudden silence made her want to cross her arms over her chest, but she remained still nevertheless. Creon finally spoke.

'You are my daughter by blood, and when I'm gone you'll need to take care of this family and our home. There's a royal family on the island of Rhodos that I've contacted, their son is only a few years older than you--'

Meg stopped listening. Of course. Of course this was about more than just her father wanting to reconnect with her. 

'I just want you to have a good life. You need someone to take care of you when I'm gone,' he explained, and the way his tone turned into one of compassion made her grit her teeth. 'I don't want you to be alone--'

'Is that why you made your own son commit suicide?' Meg spat, despite having promised herself to keep it cool. The gall of this man. 

Creon's eyes flashed and quickly he gripped her wrist in a vicelike grip. Meg flinched, trying to pull away from his furious glare. He'd never hit her before but standing there, at his Mercy, she wondered if it was time for firsts. Meg shook, but dared to continue, 

'Is that why you forced me to come back instead of letting me live my own life? Is blackmail part of your fatherly repertoire now?' 

His nostrils flared and all Meg wanted was to close her eyes. Then he let go, slowly and deliberately. He brushed off his toga as if it had been covered in dog hair.

'I know I haven't exactly been the role model for parents everywhere and you're not pleased with the situation right now,' Creon said, deliberately calm, 'but I assure you I will do all I can to make this your home. And you _will_ marry that prince,' he finished with a jab of his finger towards her. And with that, he turned around and slammed the door behind him.

Meg was alone in her new room, feeling as trapped as she'd had before she'd run away in her teenage years. The shawl that she kept on her person at all times had begun to lose the heat. She clung to it desperately.

The tiny, mean voice in the back of her mind whispered that this was what she deserved, after all the pain she'd caused. 

***

Months passed and Meg slowly submerged into a quiet, passive state. She rarely spoke unless directly addressed, causing her father to frown and and the service folks to whisper. She didn't care, as long as she got to do the bare minimum of her duties.

At least here she didn't have to pretend, scared of slipping up and confessing her sins.

Wonderboy had left for Olympus weeks ago. She'd never see him again… but then, what had she expected? A happy ending? A reunion with passionate kisses and babies on the way? There was no happy ending for her. 

That, she knew by now. 

***

The prince of Rhodos would not visit until the next year, when his obligatory year of service in the athenian forces was over and done with. Meg didn't care. He'd be disgusted by her meekness no matter what, and she wouldn't give a shit about him either way. Their marriage wouldn't depend on how long they'd wait to see each other.

He sent her an ugly, bronze pin. It had the emblem of the Cretan army on it, crude and bulky. Creon pinned it on her, as an extra set of jewellery. 

‘It’s beautiful,’ she said flatly.

***

Sometimes she'd imagine what Sosthenes was doing. Did he have someone to help him when the summer heat would be too much for his old joints? Ianos and Gregor would assist every so often, but they had their own work to take care of. Meg thought of his stubbornness when it came to labour. He’d work even if his legs and arms stopped moving. 

She imagined fondly how his stoic posture wouldn’t change while sitting in a chair on the docks, making sure that everyone else was doing their jobs. The thought made her smile despite herself.

Those moments when she spared them a thought, she reminded herself of why she'd left. 

Nobody could ever accept what she was and what she had done to them. A bad omen, spreading disease and misery.

***

Due to her own sleepwalk-like behaviour, she didn't notice that summer had arrived until she was met with a bed of dandelions buzzing from honeybees. The low hum was so comforting and pleasant that something in her mind stirred. The heat of the sun had made her back sweat, the light outside forcing her to squint. 

She walked her usual route by the barracks and found further evidence of the season in all the soldiers, training furiously as ever, and also sweating like pigs. The captain noticed her and waved cautiously. She usually didn't wave back, judging by his surprise when she lifted her own hand in greeting. He gave her a small smile.

Summer.

She'd longed for summer, the time when everything was alive.

***

Meg snuck out one afternoon, hungry for some sunshine on her face.

It was next to impossible to stay in the villa for that many hours. She hadn’t done anything useful all day, simply standing dutifully next to her father and nodding through business agreements and war meetings. Going outside was all she craved at the moment.

For a little while, it stopped the haughtiness, the cold ache inside her. 

She found a patch of grass, tall and green, fresh as spring itself. She sat down, her knees folded underneath her, and dragged one hand through the grass straws. It smelled amazing, she thought. 

***

She had a strange dream, one that she didn’t quite realize was a dream until hours later. A bubbling laugh rang in her ears, and when she looked up, her brother stood in front of her. She rose from the grass and walked slowly, as if he was a wild animal. He looked like he had when they were young, still happy and still both of them very much alive. His chiton had been pinned wrong as usual, but unlike most times, she refrained from teasing him while adjusting it.

 _‘Meg_!’ 

Her legs shook and made it impossible for her to take another step. He walked over to her, lifting his left hand up and she in turn had to lift her own. She could feel the palm of his hand - but also not. Strange.

'Haemon,' the words floated out of her and suddenly the image of him solidified. His hair shone golden in the sunlight, curls just as defined and bouncing as she remembered. this could have easily been a normal day from their childhood.

Yet something tugged inside of her, as if she only just this moment remembered it. Her heart sank.

‘You’re dead, Haemon.’ 

Her brother smiled sadly, but tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her along. 

They traveled faster than she thought was possible, which should have been a dead giveaway for the dream. She was about to urge him to stop, when they grinded to a halt, outside of their old bedroom. It had two small windows, blue curtains and one large chest for their clothes and toys. 

‘It’s smaller than I remember,’ Meg whispered as she approached the bed, touching the soft fabric of the covers. ‘We used to chase each other in this room, and how we ever managed to do that without crashing into one another…’ 

A laugh escaped her and she wondered how long it had been since memories of her childhood had truly made her smile. That memory was untainted by grief and guilt.

Haemon observed her, ever so quiet. She turned to him, frowning. The sudden sound of his voice made her jump. 

‘ _You shouldn’t have to forget everything_ ,’ he said,voice gravelly. He didn’t sound quite like himself, as if he hadn’t spoken in years. 

‘I haven’t forgotten, I remem-’

‘ _Stop punishing yourself_.’ His voice was softer now. ‘ _Stop_.'

Meg didn’t appreciate the soul of her dead brother calling her out like that, but the truth rang clear in the implication of his words. 

Did she feel shame? Guilt? It hadn’t been her fault, she’d been too young to stand up against her father and his guards. 

And still. She could have done something. Anything. Maybe if she would have seeked Hades out to save her brother, then…

‘ _Stop it, sister_!’ Haemon interrupted. His voice was pleading and Meg found it difficult to meet his gaze. ‘ _Please, remember. If not for you, then do it for me._ ’ Meg’s chest was bursting, despite how hard she tried to wrap her arms around her torso. Her lungs stopped working and she gasped, she was drowning, she…

Haemon shoved her back and she fell--

Meg sat straight up in bed, gulping for air that miraculously passed through her like normal. 

She swept her damp hair off her face and noticed her hands came back wet. Was she crying? Yes, her vision was blurry and the telltale sniffles began. Her thoughts came back slowly and the reminder of what had started the tears in the first place caused her to release a soft wail, making her rock back and forwards.

Something inside of her had broken, like a dam or a wall or-she didn’t even care to figure out the correct metaphor for whatever her body was going through. Her eyes slammed shut and her body coiled so tightly that she couldn't even make a sound through the sobs. Her chest burned like fire. 

It _had_ been her fault. She could have saved them. She should have done something. _Anything._

Words failed her and the thoughts ran through her brain until eventually even her own mind grew tired of them.

When the worst of the sobs had subsided, she sat still in her bed, huddled under the covers and listening. Her mind was blank and made her notice just how quiet it would get in the night. Her fingers itched.

A sudden urge to leave the house forced her to throw off the covers and head outside. She numbly put on her sandals and threw her scarf around herself.

Her legs carried her to the family tomb.

She hadn’t been there in years. The early morning light made it look haunted, gentle mist covering the willows that framed it. She carefully pried the door open and walked down the steps to where her mother and Haemon lay.

It was cold down there and she shuddered. Her face was hot from crying. The sliver of light from outside illuminated the tomb just enough for her to make out his place.

She gently touched the letters that spelled his name. Walked over to her mother’s. Despite her resolve to visit, she didn’t know what she wanted to do. The sobs came back and she curled in on herself, feeling like a small child begging for her mother to hold her.

The wall was used for her to stabilize herself as she crouched, words tumbling out of her.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she repeated, her voice turning to the hysterical side. ‘I’m sorry, it’s my fault, it’s my--’

***

She ended up outside the tomb, with her back against one of the willows and her legs outstretched on the grass. Her hair dried from her sweat-soaked dreams and started to curl and frizz. There was no fight, no energy left in her. All she could do was cry silently, feeling so small and alone. 

‘um. You ok?’

A strange voice cracked through the sounds of the willow’s leaves and the gentle wind. Meg’s eyes snapped open to find the blurry figure, a young woman, standing a few feet away. She looked down-right horrified, her dark eyes searching Meg’s blotchy face.

Meg had half a mind to laugh, wondering just how gross she looked at the moment. Her vision cleared and she noticed the color and fabric of the woman’s dress. It was a specific design, unique to Dthe temple in Delphi. She was an oracle. 

Confusion ran over Meg's sadness and she blinked several times, as if she’d make more sense of it all. The woman’s face reddened, clearly embarrassed. 

‘I’ll pretend I didn’t see you there,’ she mumbled and made to walk away. Meg croaked,

‘No, wait!’

The woman stopped and turned around, slowly. Her hair was a dark red bob, straight and striking against her pale skin. Her eyes narrowed, curious. 

She didn’t know why she’d wanted the woman to stay, but she continued. ‘I haven’t seen you around. Who are you?’

The woman hesitated a moment before taking a few steps towards her.

‘Cassandra. The seer.’ Meg’s eyes widened a fraction. The seer. The name was familiar and she suddenly was sure she’d read a news scroll about this woman. Something about her visions. ‘I’ve been sent from Delphi to warn the king of hurricane next week.’ She shrugged, a pinched expression on her face. ‘And you must be Megara, am I right? I thought I recognized you. You’ve inherited the man’s features,’ she added when Meg frowned in confusion. ‘May I?’

She gestured to the willow and Meg nodded, scooting just a little before Cassandra the seer sat down next to her.

‘you must be new here,’ Meg noted and found her voice rough from her cries. ‘I’m surprised you know my name.’ Cassandra averted her eyes and a looked sheepish. She cleared her throat.

'.... I only come here for my visions.'

'Oh.' Meg's thoughts whirred. Had she seen her in any vision--

‘Last year, I traveled to Thebes to warn the king of a break in that was planned against the villas around him. It was a strangely fuzzy vision and he wasn’t that interested to hear my words.’ Meg snorted, unsurprised that her father would ignore a warning coming from a woman. ‘Then, when it happened, he apparently was shaken and asked me to stay and tell him a new vision. Something about them makes people think that they’re under my control,’ Cassandra sneered.

Meg had a bad feeling in her gut, like watching an accident unfurl in front of her without being able to stop or look away.

‘Eventually, I convinced him that I couldn’t just… Whip one out, but of course, that’s usually when my visions ambush me.’ She rolled her eyes. Meg had to blurt out,

‘You told him about me working for Hades, didn’t you?’ She didn’t need to see the reaction to know she was right, though Cassandra’s head snapped back to her, her lips parted slightly in surprise, before they turned up in a smirk. 

‘You don’t mince words, do you?’ Cassandra scoffed. Meg raised an eyebrow. ‘Yeah, sorry. Like I said, I can’t control my visions, and of course I saw you with Hades.'

Meg froze, waiting for an accusation. It didn't come. 'It was something about him releasing giants from the underground and nearly destroying the entire island.’

Her voice held no emotion, making it impossible to know what she was thinking. She added with a snort,

‘Well, you probably know more about it than me, so I shouldn't really talk. But I do know Hades’ plans tend to go south pretty quickly anyway.’ 

Meg got stuck on the woman’s flippant use of Hades’ name, where most people would tremble at the very suggestion to say it out loud. It was fantastic.

‘So why are you out here at the break of dawn, looking like you’ve run into a cloud of pollen?

She nodded to Meg’s swollen face, red and puffy. 

‘My father is using my involvement in the catastrophe to keep me from leaving.’ Meg heard the pathetic wobble of her voice. Cassandra scowled.

‘What for?’

‘Doesn’t matter,’ Meg answered quickly, regretting the words. She pulled her knees to her chest, drawing circles on them with her finger. Cassandra sat still beside her. They sat quiet and Meg still didn't want to elaborate.

'He threatened to reveal my part in the destruction to all of my friends. They'd never forgive me.'

‘Wow. The fragility of the male ego continues to astonish me.'

Meg liked her, she thought. Maybe it was because of her already vulnerable state, but the idea of confiding in someone made something in her chest loosen.

‘I sold my soul to Hades in exchange for my boyfriend’s life, and then he used me as bait,’ she said and was surprised by how little her emotions stirred by it. Cassandra didn’t seem too shocked by this, simply nodding at the statement, the gesture saying, ‘ _Yup, typical Hades.’_

‘That’s why you were out here, crying?’ Cassandra pressed. 

‘No, because…’ Meg paused. Why was she crying? Why was she telling this stranger about it? ‘Hey, how much court gossip do you listen to?’ 

‘You’d have to be more specific than that,’ Cassandra answered, her voice falling into a monotone, deep tune. 

‘You ever heard about king Oedipus?’ Her heart raced when Cassandra reacted. She was relieved to not have to explain that side of her family tree. ‘My brother was engaged to his daughter Antigone. They were too young in my opinion, but I think they fell in love.’

She tried to remember the girl, her soft features and determined eyes.

‘Her brothers fought for the throne of Thebes and when one came out the victor, the other one was sentenced to rot on the battlefield with no burial to not anger the gods. My father was adamant that they upheld tradition. Of course, Antigone went against my father’s orders and buried him in secret.’ Cassandra let out a low whistle. 'But she was found out and arrested.'

‘I think I can guess where this is going,’ she mumbled and despite herself, let her mouth into a small smile.

‘Yeah, well. Haemon refused to back down, defending Antigone and eventually decided to be buried in the cave she’d been sentenced to. My father refused to see reason, despite me and my mother’s pleas.’ Bitterness and shame rolled over her, hot on her cheeks. ‘When he finally gave in, they uncovered the cave and…’

She remembered the look on her mother’s face when the soldiers revealed the news.

‘They’d ended their lives in the cave. Together. I had lost my baby brother.’ The tears prickled angrily in her eyes but she made no move to wipe them away. Cassandra was quiet. 

‘I only knew about your mother's...' she whispered. Meg nodded, suddenly embarrassed by the tears.

‘Mother managed a month or so before she left us.’ The hollowness returned and she hugged her knees tighter. She’d thought it would make things easier to talk about it, but the pressure in her chest got worse as she remembered her father ordering the soldiers to cover the cave, how she strained against her mother’s grasp. The guilt that never went away. Words that seemed to follow her these days spilled out.

‘I seem to cause pain no matter where I go. Because of me, countless of lives are lost, cities are buried and….’

A sob escaped her and she wished she hadn’t said anything to begin with. ‘And my brother is dead because I didn't do anything.’ 

Her words stopped as the sobs started to wreck through her body, panic building as her mind swam back to the place she’d been in all night. 

‘It wasn’t your fault, Meg.’ Cassandra’s calm, reasonable voice snapped through Meg’s self pity. ‘It wasn’t your fault that your dad cares more about tradition than his own family. And it’s not your fault your brother killed himself.’

Meg didn’t believe her and she thought that Cassandra noticed.

‘I mean it. Look, I have visions all the time. They’re never happy ones, and my curse is that nobody will ever believe me when I tell them. Don’t you think I blame myself every time something bad happens?’ 

Her eyes were unyielding. Meg’s breathing slowed down in increments, her mind focusing on Cassandra’s words.

‘I’ve had to stand by and watched as accidents unfold, wars start and not being able to do anything about it.’

‘So why do you even tell them?’ Meg asked, confused and maybe a little intrigued.

‘I don’t know,’ Cassandra sighed. ‘I’ll tell you when I do. But my point is, you can’t control others’ choices, Meg. And you can’t beat yourself up for the rest of your life, just because you didn’t wrestle down your father and his soldiers when you were a kid.’

‘It’s not that sim-’

‘Yes it is. And now you’re also blaming yourself for getting caught up in Hades’ plans. Believe me, it’s happened to the best of us.’ She gave her a self-deprecating smile and Meg found herself tilting her head at that.

‘No way. You?’ Meg’s heart felt… Something. Like Cassandra’s words let in light into her heart.

‘It didn’t help me that one of my best friends was his main target,’ Cassandra deadpanned. 'That god was difficult to be rid of anyday.'

‘You knew Wonderboy?’ Meg asked delightedly, not even noticing the use of the nickname. Cassandra smirked.

‘That’s what you called him? Cute,’ she snickered and Meg thought that maybe she knew about their almost-relationship. ‘Look, I can’t make decisions for you but what I do know that cutting yourself off from the world out of fear of messing up is never good. Believe me, it’s worth the few assholes who judge you for the friends who couldn’t care less what your emotional baggage is.’

‘Jeez, if you ever need to switch careers you’d make a great life coach,’ Meg teased even though she nearly started crying again. She nudged her shoulder and laughed when Cassandra scowled at the hand as if it was cursed. 

‘Not really, I just like you,’ Cassandra muttered. ‘Or liked, now that I think about it.’ Meg’s laughter bubbled up again and she heard the slight tone of hysteria in it. she calmed down, eventually, and tried to even out her emotions.

‘Shit, my mouth feels like sandpaper,’ she groaned and stood up, wobbling on the spot. ‘Feel like taking a drink inside? I am _dying_ to hear every story you have about Wonderboy,’ she said and it was Cassandra’s time to groan. 

‘That might take more than a few drinks. Fine, did you know that he once lost Apollo’s chariot?’

***

The chat with Cassandra had seemed pretty strange in retrospect, but it had also changed everything. Meg couldn’t stop thinking of her words. Had she been punishing herself all these years? Could she stop her train of self hating thoughts? If she could have faith in her friends, if they’d forgive her…

She could have her life back. The thought gave her butterflies in her stomach. 

As per usual, she found her father in the throne room, leaned back against the chair, going through piles of whatever. She stood in front of him,back tall until he noticed her. He glanced up, uninterested, but when she unclasped the ugly gift from her prospective fiancé, released it from her dress and dropped it on the table, clinking and bouncing a few times before rolling down to the floor - _then_ did he turn his focus on her.

‘What is it?’ he said, a bored drawl. Meg thought she might pity him more than she resented him. _Your father cares more for tradition than his own family._

‘I’m done playing your game,’ Meg announced. This was relatively novel for her, to refuse her father’s request, yet she felt oddly calm. Creon frowned. ‘I’m going back home and I guess I should tell you before I leave.’ 

‘You can’t leave,’ Creon said, defiant. Meg felt the shift of power.

‘Watch me.’ She drawled through her teeth. Creon snapped,

‘I’ll tell them everything! They’ll shun you!’ 

‘Maybe,’ Meg conceded, tilting her head from side to side as if considering his words, ‘But it’s better than staying here.’ The words _With you_ were heavily implied. She turned to leave, feeling victorious, when her father’s desperate voice called out once more.

‘Meg, please! I just got you back!’ Meg stopped. Turned her head slowly. Her father was breathing harshly, his eyes wild. ‘I just wanted to have you back, to-to make up for.. Everything.’

In that moment, Meg did pity him. For a brief moment she thought she could sense the father that she’d lost long ago. Maybe there had been a time when her father had loved her the way a parent should, with endless, unconditional love. She weighed the words in her head, before opening her mouth.

‘I want to forgive you.’ Creon’s face relaxed. ‘I want to forget the bad stuff and forgive. But, I look into your eyes and the only thing I see is the dead eyes of my little brother.’ Her words snapped through the air and she saw her father visibly recoil. ‘I listen to your voice and all I hear is my mother begging you to spare her son.’ 

Creon looked terrified of her. Good, she thought spitefully, before reeling it in. 

‘I understand that you thought you did the right thing, that Haemon and Antigone shamed the gods, but it doesn’t change the fact that they’re dead and you’re still clinging on to the idea that posturing is more important than human lives.’

She found that her anger had cooled down, especially when she heard her father whimper on his throne, his hand covering his face. She walked up to him, rested her hand on his shoulder. ‘I am going to try and move on. For my health’s sake. I truly, _truly_ hope that one day you’ll be able to, too.’ 

And she found she meant it. 

Creon was quiet, but looked up at her, his eyes shining. He covered her hand with his own, squeezing it slightly, and for once they shared a smile. She could see what Cassandra had said about their similar features. 

Then she bent down, kissed her father’s forehead and walked out of her childhood home. 

Not once did she turn around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This must be my longest chapter yet. The only thing I wanted from this was Meg's talk with Creon in the end, and still this ended up being far too long and. So. freaking. Corny. I apologize.


	16. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaah this is it! The moment I have been waiting for for three months to tell you! I really hope you'll find it satisfying, I've been thinking about how to end this and it's been a long thought process.  
> Anyway, please enjoy!
> 
> (Tw for brief mention of minor character suicide, again)

In hindsight, Meg should have seen this coming, but she had been so relieved to finally be free and start living her life again. A life in which she was in control.

The traveller accepting her payment for transport out of Thebes was shady, she conceded. He might be of the unreliable sort, but Meg’s excitement pushed that worry out of her head the moment he took her to the stables. At any rate, she figured that a scrawny guy shouldn’t be too difficult to overpower, even for her. 

‘You’re lookin’ awfully fancy for a fisher’s wife,’ the old man groused as Meg jumped aboard the back of his wagon. She hoisted the skirt of her expensive dress up to climb over the fence and landed on her backside. She gingerly rubbed her back and helped him load the rest of his stuff onboard.

‘Yeah, it was a special gift. Anniversary, y’know.’ Meg beamed at him and hoped he didn’t ask any questions. The clothes were an unfortunate choice. Her old dress had, upon arrival in Thebes, been unceremoniously burned on orders from her father, and the servants' clothes were much too simple for a woman with a pouch full of coins to wear. It would have been too suspicious and she didn’t want to raise any questions of where she’d gotten that money.

He warily eyed her up and down.

‘Lucky guy,’ he simply said and urged his old horse to get a move on. She sat down in the rickety old wagon, watching as Thebes slowly got smaller and smaller.

This morning was shaping up to be in stark contrast to the previous day. Meg’s body thrummed with anticipation, chest tightening and her legs restlessly bumping up and down. The fact that this was at least two days’ worth of travelling made her impatient. 

Cassandra had been right. Meg wished she’d had time to thank her, but the fear of changing her own mind about leaving was too great. It had been a quick choice that made her pack her bag and leave the next morning for the outskirts of the city. 

Sleeping had been next to impossible the night before, but by this morning the emotional overload finally caught up with her, and she was thankful to fall asleep, lulled by the jostling wheels on the road.

She woke up by the time night had fallen, causing her to shiver beneath her shawl and blanket. She scrubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms and figured there were definitely more hours of sleep left in her. The traveller had stepped off the wagon and was grilling a leg of lamb. Meg walked over, still yawning. 

‘You ain’t very talkative, m’am,’ he commented. Meg shrugged. 

He kept asking her questions and she kept evading them. He was polite and nice, but something didn't sit well with her. It was strange to meet someone who was unafraid of travelling alone. Within city parameters you’d usually be okay if you stayed on the path, but out on the road, with no civilization in sight… 

It was rare.

Either he was really dumb or he didn’t have any particular sense of self preservation.

The woods on the side of the road was alive with sounds, mostly nocturnal birds and the occasional snap of twigs on the ground. Meg finished eating and dried her hands on the edge of her dress, not bothering to keep it clean. She never ever wanted to wear that thing again.

The traveller climbed into the wagon, unpacking blankets for sleep and grumbled about sharing space, while Meg walked over to the tired old horse snacking on grass. 

It barely showed any sign of interest when she approached and offered a carrot from her bag. It raised its head to consider the gift, and after a moment of inspecting it finally dug in and chewed loudly. Meg smiled, giving the horse a pat on its head. She thought of Pegasus, his quick reflexes paired with his unending endurance, never dropping his energy. He was the opposite of this one. Longing pinched hard at her gut, but left as quickly as it had come.

A small laugh erupted when she realized that she was missing that irritable winged horse.

When she woke up from sleep the next time, the road was still dark, though not as black as in the winter months, when it was next to impossible to walk outside during the night. Her bladder made itself known. Suddenly awake and tense, she crawled out of the underside of the wagon, because gods forbid she’d dare to share space in a wagon that small with with a stranger.

Wrapped with her shawl, she ventured a few paces into the woods to relieve herself. The fire was still glowing faintly by the road and the moon was clear in the night sky, making it fairly easy to at least see where she was going. She crouched down, pulling up her skirt and exhaled from relief. Her vision was used to the darkness and she managed to pick up the outline of an owl in a tree. There were twigs snapping, she could hear the faint rhythm of cicadas and--

The snaps were more frequent and louder now. A pheasant squaked and spread its wings in indignation as the clear forms of three big, brawny men approached the wagon, weapons at the ready.

_Shit!_

The traveller was still in the wagon. Maybe Meg could alert him, but that meant she’d most likely alert the intruders as well. She eyed the fire, wondering if one of the branches could be used as a weapon if it was still burning. 

The tallest of the men hollered and the traveller looked up, a peeved expression on his sleepy face. He rubbed at his eyes and an expression of recognition lit up on his face. It dug out a hole in Meg’s stomach. 

_You’re lookin’ awfully fancy for a fisher’s wife._

Meg was careful to bend closer into her crouch, still grabbing hold of the ends of her skirt to be able to run for it. She was hidden enough in the woods, but she didn’t have much time to make up a game plan. Their voices were slightly distorted by the barriers of the trees hiding her, but Meg could still follow the conversation from her hiding spot.

‘ _Ey-ey-ey, my man, where’ve you been?’_ Tall Guy said and approached with a dangerous smile. Traveller didn’t move before he quickly was held up in the air by the bulkier of the men. He began to laugh nervously. Meg tried to move away from them, crouching and looking down to avoid tripping over anything..

 _‘My friends! I was waiting for you!’_ Traveller squeaked and the men laughed cruelly as he twisted in the man’s grasp.

‘ _Did you hear that, guys? Friends, he says!’_ Tall Guy laughed maniacally and without warning he gave Traveller a right hook across his jaw. His expression changed into one of fury.

The others laughed spit on the ground at Traveller’s dangling feet.

‘ _You think I forget you double crossed me last week, you double crossing snitch lying bastard--’_

_‘But I got one! She’s an escaped noble or somethin'. fancy clothes and expensive perfume and everything. Imagine putting a ransom on that pretty thing--’_

_‘Shut up! You had your chance, little man, and now yer gonna pay--’_

Meg crawled further away, as slowly she could manage, to mask the sounds of the ground beneath her. Instinct wanted her to flee as fast as her legs could carry her and she had to force her terror down enough to think clearly. 

The men were now yelling their heads off, tension rising quickly. The horse was sleeping a few paces away, head still and eyes closed. If she could mount him and get him moving, she could get out of there.

The men roared at each other and when Meg heard Traveller kick Muscle Man in his groin and a fist fight erupted she took her chance, adrenaline spiking her shaky body. She swiftly appeared at the horse’s side, and in effect scared him enough to whinny and rear. 

The men had yet to notice them. 

Meg battled the reins of the halter that were tied to a tree trunk, fingers clumsy and weak. The horse still pulled and she forcefully pulled his halter down towards her, doing her best to whisper soothingly, holding still until he stopped fighting her long enough to get the ropes undone. Weak with relief, she patted its head and made to mount its back when she noticed the brawl had quieted down. 

She turned her face around and found four angry, bruised men snarling at her. 

‘That’s her!!’ Traveller yelled and pointed to her. Tall Guy punched him in the gut.

‘We could get a fortune outta her. Getter, people!’ he ordered and Meg dug her heels into the horse’s sides. They were on foot, she’d outrun them easily.

Except the horse didn’t move.

‘Come on!’ she shrieked, uselessly flailing the reins. Tall Guy grabbed her arm and threw her down on the ground, causing her to roll in the dirt before stopping on her front. He approached, grabbed her by the throat and lifted her just high enough that she had to stand on her tiptoes to catch her breath. 

She clawed at his hands, feeling dizzy from not getting enough air in her lungs.

He moved her head from side to side, as if inspecting cattle. 

‘Yeah, she looks expensive, alright,’ he nodded, pleased. The others joined him and smiled, teeth missing in all of their mouths. 

Meg weighed her choices. 

She could play along, pretending to be a meek little girl and find a way out when they weren’t paying attention. She could spit in Tall Guy’s face and perhaps wrangle free. But the horse had backed away and she wouldn’t get to him in time, even if he would cooperate and turn to a gallop.

The hand on her throat tightened and no air could pass. Her vision swam and she knew that she had to decide now, before it was too late.

Then Traveller appeared behind Muscle Guy and cracked his kneecaps with a bludgeon. The man wailed. Tall Guy dropped Meg on the ground and turned to be knocked down by the same weapon. 

‘That’s not fair! I was the one who found her, ya bastards!’ He yelled. Tall Guy rose from the ground and unsheathed his dagger, slashing at Traveller. 

Meg shuffled back from her position on the ground, and Muscle Man dragged himself forward on his arms to grab at her. He took hold of her ankle, raising a jagged rock from the ground beside him and aimed for her knees. She kicked him in the face and the rock drew a deep line into her inner thigh instead. The searing pain blinded her for a few seconds and she drew deliberate breaths to steady herself. She kicked with her free foot again, this time with the sole of her shoe directly on the man’s nose. 

He released his grip and covered his face, roaring and sitting up, before remembering that his knees were busted and fell forwards again. 

Meg scrambled to her feet. The men were now in a bloody fight. It seemed that she’d have at least a few seconds to move before they’d remember the reason they were there. She hobbled over to the horse, which had gotten stuck with its reins in a tree branch and thrashed around. 

This time, Meg made sure to quickly release it and hurriedly patted it on its nuzzle, cooing at it until it calmed down. She turned one last time to the men. Traveller held his bludgeon over his head, ready to strike down on his enemies when he caught her eye. Distracted, he didn’t notice the quiet man in the group come up behind him and stab his arm. 

She didn’t need to stall this any further. Grabbing the reins, she bent slightly backwards and, with as much force as she could muster, slapped the horse’s behind and kicked her heels into its side. The horse didn’t stick around this time. 

Meg heard the men cursing behind her.

***

They managed about twenty minutes before Meg had to stop. Adrenaline thumped against her throat and her ears would perk up at any sound. She ungracefully slid down the horse's flank and groaned in pain when her feet hit the ground. She breathed hard through her nose, pulling up her skirt to look at just how bad it was. The horse stood close by, his eyes observing her curiously. 

The wound wasn't as deep as she thought, but it was long and bled a ridiculous amount. Lightheaded, she gripped the tails of her dress and after a few tries managed to rip off a good chunk of fabric. The sounds of tears seemed to echo around them, but she was too focused on the burning sting in her thigh as she wrapped the fabric around it. She was _not_ going to bleed to death, not when she was so close.

Her head spun and she had no choice but to lie down on her back for a moment, knees up. The horse trotted out of sight and had she not been in so much pain, she would have stood up and run after him. Instead she focused on breathing until the worst of the burn stopped.

It took awhile for her to regain her consciousness, and then it was only because of a wet muzzle softly sniffing at her. The horse had come back and apparently he had also found a source of water. Meg heaved herself up to sitting, waiting until the spinning subsided, then gingerly stood up, using him for support.

'Sorry for dragging you into this,' she murmured to him, and thanked him for staying. She was probably dying, so pretending that she could talk to animals was nothing she thought too hard about. 'I'm gonna get you an entire basket of Apples if we make it,' she promised and proceeded numerous attempts to get up on his back again.

***

For hours they had been travelling, time seeming unending because of the darkness. The horse was tired, walking slower and slower. Meg, who had been tired at the beginning of the night, was exhausted, fighting to keep herself in the saddle. She'd nodded off a few times and woken up just in time to catch herself from falling off. 

They'd passed more creeks and one wild apple tree that meant the horse at least got a travel snack. Meg was too focused on pressing her thigh to the saddle in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She'd only get off once they were there.

Soon enough she _must_ start to recognize the road and its surroundings. Soon. Maybe by the next turn.

They passed a hill that she was sure was the one preceding her home.

It wasn't.

Disappointment was difficult to keep at bay. Her legs were shaking uselessly from the strain of staying upright and all she wanted was to lie down. The wound burned beneath her bandage, which was stained red all the way through. They would not make it, she thought. She'd die before she'd get to talk to her friends, before she could hug them and…

She was going to die before her new life had even begun. She choked, her shoulders convulsing from sobs that wouldn’t pass her lips. The horse whinnied, noticing her distress and she tried to calm him down.

The sun was rising slowly in front of them, lighting up the path ahead. The sky was gradually moving, changing from deep dark blue to a pale purple. It was a beautiful sight and Meg leaned closer to the horse's mane, as if she could tell him to look at its brilliance. She wondered if she was delirious, because she heard voices echoing in her head. They were surprisingly familiar, she thought dimly and smiled. The thigh didn't hurt as much.

Then she realized that the voices were not in her head but, in fact, coming from people further down the road. They were collecting…

They were collecting olives.

***

Nothing had made her happier than the familiar sight of olive trees, the trunks glowing in the early sunlight and the leaves glimmering. The farmers noticed her bleeding form sprawled across an old and tired horse, and immediately shouted for help. Meg noticed someone pulling the horse along, trying desperately to keep her talking. She mumbled words that she later on had no recollection of.

The next thing she remembered was someone getting her water. She was still on the horse, walking slowly up the road to town. They must be taking her to Althea. Or whoever was the town physician. 

Despite everything, Meg tried putting on a brave face for the farmers, making jokes and telling them that she was fine, or at least that was her intention. It might have been that they just heard gibberish coming out of her. When they entered the city district and she heard Alexis calling her name, a tinge of disbelief and then fear.

Meg couldn’t contain her relief. She answered her friend’s call weakly and battled between smiling and sobbing. Then Alexis was right there beside her, helping her stumble off the horse. Meg guessed that she looked even worse up close, because Alexis froze when she snaked her arm around Meg’s back and looked back at her face. 

‘What in Tartarus has happened to you?’ she exclaimed, but didn’t really seem to look for an answer. Instead, she let Meg lean on her for support as they walked, or hobbled inside to Althea’s. 

***

Meg’s entire body was shivering uncontrollably. 

The pain had subsided but turned into numbness, which she knew from experience was never a good sign. Her vision filled with blurry shapes and Alexis’ voice drew further away, until she felt a cool touch to her forehead. She blinked her eyes open and reached her hand up to lay on top of Alexis’. It was strong, familiar. Safe.

‘Althea is getting help, don’t worry,’ Alexis soothed her. She vaguely remembered being forced to drink something that she assumed was for her pain. Perhaps that explained her floating mind.

Was this really how it was going to end? She came this close to getting to come clean and start over.

‘It hurts,’ she whimpered. It wasn’t fair that she had to suffer like this in the end, she thought. Alexis began to hover over her, looking for signs of new bruises.

‘Where? Is it your head? where does it hurt?’ Meg didn’t answer, feeling her breathing turn shallow and quick. 

This pain was not purely physical, but a burning hole in her chest. There were so many things she needed to tell Alexis. About her father and her dead family. Her years working for Hades and the inevitability of own involvement in the titan catastrophe. She needed to tell her friend that she had done so many questionable choices in her lifetime.

‘ _I’m in love with Hercules_!’ she burst out, high-pitched and desperate, as if the words had been punched out of her lungs. 

Alexis turned her dark eyes on her, staring like she’d just witnessed Meg popping two new heads out of her neck.

‘It’s my fault he almost got killed!’ Meg sobbed, feeling the relief inside her chest. It felt so good to finally dare to express it. To stop hiding. ‘Hades.. And I didn’t mean to mess it all up--’ 

She didn’t know what more she wanted to convey to Alexis, but the words tumbled out and the hopeless sadness grabbed her for a brief moment. ‘I loved him so much, you know? And-and I fucking blew it, just... just, completely--’ she rambled, ending by blowing raspberries. 

Wonderboy. Hercules. Why had she pushed him away again? 

She felt Alexis’ hand in hers, heard her desperately trying to comfort, or more likely sedate, her. 

Meg couldn’t stop herself. The realization that she had officially ended her chances of a relationship with the one person she wanted--

‘Meg?’ A quiet, surprised voice from the doorway. Meg felt her mouth click shut. Alexis stared firmly down into her own hands, looking extremely embarrassed, as if she’d just walked in on Meg with her pants down… so to speak. 

Meg tensed, locking eyes with a shell shocked Hercules who was standing in the entrance, linens and bottles in his hands. 

His hair was red. The locks seemed almost golden in the morning light streaming in through the door, but it was, in fact, his human hair color.

The realization of what she had just said made her cheeks burn. Had he heard anything of it?

Alexis cleared her throat and patted Meg’s good leg awkwardly, before standing up and facing Hercules. He simply stared at Meg.

‘Can you help her?’ She murmured, as if Meg wasn’t just a few feet away from them. He paused, dragging his eyes from her to address Alexis.

‘I-umm.’ he hesitated and Meg took his features in. His fingers were twitching nervously. 

She wanted to kiss each one of them. ‘Of course. I-’

‘Good,’ Alexis said firmly and patted him on the back before dragging Althea out of the door. ‘We really need to check up on the market,’ she added with a pointed glare at Althea, who spared a quick scan between Meg and Hercules before letting herself be taken outside. The noise outside subsided as they left.

So there they were. Alone. 

The moment Alexis closed the door behind her, Hercules’ reservation was thrown out the window. 

‘Meg! Wha-What happened?’ He rushed to her side, nearly knocking the kitchen table through the wall as he sat down next to her. Meg’s chest felt warm and fuzzy as he searched her face, her neck, her arms. The hurt inside her gradually faded as his eyes took her in. They widened at the sight of her thigh and she felt defensive of her handiwork. She was about to defend herself when his fingers ever so carefully traced the outlines of the bandage, as if he could read what had happened from that simple touch. 

Meg shivered. She noticed that she could count his freckles on his shoulder this close. So she hadn’t imagined them, after all.

‘Who did this to you?’ he asked, voice tense.

‘I got into a fight on my way here,’ she answered impatiently, not feeling like delving into that story just yet. What did she care about the almost-kidnapping, when she was sitting within touching distance from the man she loved, who had been supposed to be someplace else entirely?

‘I think we’ll need to reset this,’ Hercules indicated to her thigh and rose to his feet. Meg watched him bring the stuff he’d brought into the house. Pieces of cloths and clean rags. Needle. Bottles. Meg leaned back down, feeling her skin thrum. ‘Um. If-if that’s alright with you?’

‘Of course,’ she murmured. He was standing too far away from her now, she decided. _Had_ he heard her ramble on the other side of the door? He looked uncomfortable, yet when he sat down on the divan by her feet, she saw steady hands, face pinched in concentration as he began to administer the way her leg was placed. 

‘Could you keep it like this?’ he asked and with care bent her knee so that her thigh was more elevated. The places where his hands touched her skin buzzed pleasantly. Meg nodded and observed as he slowly, gently, untied the knot of the bandage. Meg was mesmerized by the sight of him. That is, until the fabric peeled off, layer by layer, and her skin began to sting and burn and-

‘Oops, sorry!’ he exclaimed, stopping mid-peel with an apologetic expression on his face. Meg grimaced, feeling her hands clench tight to the edge of the divan. 

‘It’s alright, just, mmm.’ She hissed. ‘Just keep going.’ The burn was biting into her, almost so much that she wanted to just keep the bandage there for the rest of her life, just so that she didn’t have to experience this pain. She breathed through her nose and didn’t release her grip on the divan until the last strip of fabric was gone. 

Hercules sighed as if that had been a feat in of itself and let the old bandage fall to the floor. Meg glanced at her leg and immediately wished she hadn’t. 

The bruises weren’t so bad considering, but the wound was throbbing an angry red, bleeding and leaking pus. After riding for hours, the space around the wound had been chafing. It looked disgusting. 

_Great_.

Hercules seemed unperturbed, scooting closer to her, his legs on either side of the divan. He lifted her ankle to get a better angle, completely focused on the wound and oblivious to the position they were currently in - Meg on her back with him between her legs, one of her ankles swung over his shoulder. Images similar to this one had fluttered through her mind more than once before.

She wondered if she should point out the awkward position but the pain was honestly too much at the moment and she decided against it. 

He dabbed one of the clean rags in water and began to wipe away dried blood and dirt. The cool water was calming and Meg briefly sunk into the pillows, sighing. Pain still ran through her but it was more manageable, maybe even more so by having Wonderboy care for the wound.

He dropped the rag and quickly pulled out a new one, now dipped in what Meg hoped was water but understood from the smell to be something else. Hercules stopped, inches from her skin.

‘This is… It’s gonna sting. I’m sorry,’ he apologized and Meg had just enough time to register the warning before he pressed it quickly to her and she nearly screamed. 

It was needed to reduce any risk of infection. She knew this, but the thought did not help at the moment. She breathed through clenched teeth, refusing to complain or whine and opted to simply screw her eyes shut. In the palm of her hand, she could sense two slender fingers slide in and she forced herself to open her eyes again. Hercules’ eyes were soft.

‘You can squeeze all you want if you need to,’ he smiled kindly. Meg gratefully accepted it, putting all of her tension and concentration into pressing his fingers. It was a little distracting, at least. 

Eventually the burn receded and Meg found herself relax in increments, panting. Her hair was sticking to the sweat on her forehead. For a minute or so she let her thoughts wander, while Hercules prepared to stitch the wound. He apologized again for the pain, but at this point Meg’s body seemed either enveloped in Althea’s pain killers, or too far gone to register any pain. 

She watched as he slowly, methodically, began to thread the needle at the end closest to her knee. The tension was there again. 

‘So…’ she tried for her casual voice, not knowing if she sounded like normal at all. ‘You’re still here?’ The corner of his mouth twitched.

‘I’m still here,’ he confirmed. Meg waited. He sighed. ‘I… I was thinking of what you said, back in.. Last time we talked.’ 

Hot shame boiled inside her.

‘Oh, listen, I…’ Meg cleared her throat, suddenly nervous. ‘I’m so sorry for what I said--’

In the same moment, Hercules said,

‘I’m sorry for being such a--’

They stopped, a small, awkward laugh escaping Meg’s lips. Hercules smiled. It reached his eyes, crinkling at the edges. He indicated for her to continue, ever the gentleman, and Meg gave him a quick smile.

‘I shouldn’t have said those things to you,’ she said. ‘It was cruel and-and mean and I was just scared.’ She drew in a breath deliberately. ‘Because I knew I was leaving, and I was scared of even acknowledging that there was a slight chance - But I shouldn’t have been such a--’ she fumbled for a second, waving her hand, ‘such a bitch.’

Hercules frowned.

‘Don’t call yourself that,’ he said and the crease between his eyebrows made Meg almost want to laugh. 

‘Still, I apologize.’ 

‘No, I should be the one to--’ Hercules began and looked down with a concentrated stare at the needle in his hand. ‘You _were_ right, I was being selfish. I was just so confused at the time. My immortal side constantly fought the human in me.’ He sighed and Meg tilted her head to the side. ‘Somehow my mind couldn’t keep up with immortality, I think. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the drugs that messed me up,’ he added drily and Meg huffed in surprise at his amused expression. ‘Gods are a darn mystery, Meg. I didn’t understand them even when I was supposed to be one of them.’

‘But still. Why did you stay?’ Meg asked.

‘Well, I thought about what you said and - don’t get me wrong, but I was just so angry with you.’ Despite this claim, he smiled fondly at her. ‘That’s usually the sign that something was true in your statement, for me to become so defensive.’ 

Meg hummed in agreement, unable to hide her smile. It was nice hearing she hadn’t been completely unreasonable.

‘Then suddenly it was time for me to return and I hadn’t made up my mind yet. I pushed it out of my head until the literal last second.’ He chuckled. ‘You should have been there when father arrived. We were having a late breakfast at Lyko’s and suddenly he appeared in the middle of the room. People had to avert their eyes so as to not get blinded by him. Gregor looked like--’ he snickered and to Meg’s own surprise, she barked out a loud laugh, imagining Gregor’s face.

‘I can picture it so clearly,’ she managed after a moment. ‘So he might finally believe you’re the son of Zeus now?’

‘He and the rest of our friends. I think it was difficult to deny after that,’ he winked at her and smiled mischievously. Her heart hammered. ‘They were in quite a shock, not even Ianos dared to pipe up. Anyway, I remember looking at my father and back to the humans in the inn, and just thinking, _How is this even a choice for me? It’s a no-brainer._ ’ 

Meg waited for an explanation. He continued, 

‘In that moment I knew that I wanted to stay on earth as a mortal, because, well...’ The stitches were slowly closing the wound and Meg’s pulse quickened at the sight of his hand trailing further down her thigh. He still hadn’t reacted to it. 

‘I mean, I’ve been a mortal for almost all of my life. I do belong here, with the people. And I simply told my father this. He was disappointed but eventually seemed to accept my decision.’ Hercules took a closer look at his stitches, moving his hand subconsciously to brush Meg’s dress further up her leg to get a clearer look at his work.

Then he froze when he seemed to realize how he was sitting and what that position looked like.

Meg had half a mind to laugh at his panicked expression and his gradually blushing cheeks, but her breathing was shallow and she found it difficult to make any sound. 

His touch tingled on her skin again. She tried to distract him from moving his hands away and asked,

‘Did you talk to him about… what he did?’ 

Hercules looked up, frowning as if he didn’t understand a word of what she’d just said. Then he tried to lower her ankle back down on the divan, but she resisted. ‘It’s fine, Wonderboy. If it helps you do your job,’ she assured him. He relaxed a bit, but his blush stayed. 

‘I-umm. I-I,’ he stammered and had to clear his throat, ‘I think, in the end I decided that it didn’t matter. Just. I know it wasn’t his intention to hurt me, he just wanted me to have a fair chance at being a god.’ 

Meg had many questions following that statement, mainly asking if his earthly father had ever drugged him ‘for his own good’, but decided against it. This was not the time to delve into whatever this said about Wonderboy. All she knew was that if it wasn’t for the fact that Zeus was the king of the gods, Meg had wanted to meet him in person and _rip him a new one_ for the pain he put his son through.

Hercules didn’t seem to notice her line of thought and shrugged his shoulders.

‘It was fantastic though,’ he continued, ‘To finally be able to know that it was my decision all along. That I was doing it for me, not anyone else. So I guess, I also wanted t-to thank you. For helping me realize this, I mean.’ His shy expression made Meg’s anger roll off of her. _You don’t ever have to thank_ me, _Wonderboy,_ she thought fondly.

Hercules secured the stitches and inspected his work. He looked pleased and Meg made a mental note to ask where he’d learned to do that. 

Soon, a new and clean bandage wrapped around her leg and there was no more need to sit as close as they did. 

Hercules didn’t move. Neither did Meg.

‘Why were you away for so long?’ he asked in what he probably thought was a casual tone. Meg considered the question, wondering how to phrase it. 

In the end, she knew that there were many things they needed to talk about, but not everything had to be said in that exact moment. After all, he was a mortal now. She had all the time in the world to unravel her past.

‘My little brother died five years ago,’ she said to Hercules’ surprise. ‘His name was Haemon. We had always been very close so the loss has been awfully painful for me.’ Somehow, telling Hercules about her brother made her chest feel like it was glowing, like she could feel her brother sitting right there, next to her. 

She imagined him smiling. 

_Remember._

‘My mother took her own life a while later and after that, me and my father’s relationship hasn’t exactly been the same. I guess I had to go back there, to just… Grieve for a while, to move on.’ Hercules had a soft expression, his hand hovering above her arm, as if battling the urge to comfort her. She barrelled on. ‘I thought that I had to punish myself forever for surviving when my own brother didn’t get to live, but I think, I _think,_ ’ she paused, and somehow this statement felt monumental, ‘I needed to realize that I could actually deserve to be happy.’ 

It sounded so dumb, so inarticulate that she had to stop herself from squirming. To his credit, Hercules just listened. The small smile he gave her made her hope.

‘You remind me of him sometimes, you know,’ she heard herself saying, then back pedalling, ‘Not-Not in a weird way, just. You have that same gentleness to you. You care so deeply and try to be good to others. It’s comforting. Like he watches over me, somehow.’ Could someone _please_ stop her from talking?

Hercules looked thoughtful, but not judging. Meg relaxed marginally. Eventually he answered,

‘That’s very sweet of you. I’m glad you think that highly of me.’ He sounded so sincere that it hurt. ‘I think he’d be proud of you.’ 

‘Thank you,’ Meg smiled.

This sudden seriousness grinded their conversation to a halt. Meg repressed the urge to fidget.

‘So…’ she breathed, her pulse speeding up. 

‘So,’ Hercules repeated. 

They stared openly at each other. Neither of them knew how to proceed. Meg’s leg started to cramp and she had to stretch it out with her foot on the floor. She groaned, but assured him that she was fine, just a little stiff.

‘Hades told me about your… Um, your ex,’ Hercules blurted out and Meg’s eyebrows shot up. He lowered his head, glancing guiltily up at her through his eyelashes. She wondered if he knew how he looked in that moment. ‘We were in court and I couldn’t stop thinking about it until I asked him. He said you gave up your freedom to save your partner’s life, and you decided to risk your life for _me_ after he… Well. I just. I Thought I should be honest about that. I’m really sorry, that wasn’t a nice thing of me to do,’ he added. 

Meg had not expected an apology out of those sentences. She answered him with another statement.

‘I met your old high school friend, Cassandra.’ Hercules’ deep blue eyes showed actual signs of fear. ‘I might have begged her to tell me of what you were like. So um. I think we’re even.’ 

Hercules hid his hands in his face and let out a loud groan, which made Meg laugh uncontrollably. She did feel a bit bad about it, but still. She’d always been the teasing sort.

‘And here I thought you were a good person. Turns out I’m talking to a demon,’ he complained, which only made her laugh harder. The whole situation was so stupid, she thought.

Banter always came natural when they talked. Meg loved to tease him and make him blush and Hercules always came back, sometimes parrying by acting completely oblivious. He managed to get a few in himself, fondly commenting on Meg’s attempt to seduce him by falling down the stairs in the garden. 

‘You could have broken so many bones, falling down like that--’

‘It worked, didn’t it? I knew you’d catch me,’ Meg retorted indignantly, causing him to snort.

‘Never put that kind of faith in a man that once accidentally sunk an entire island,’ Hercules said and threw Meg into another loop of laughter.

They were talking for so long that Meg almost forgot the year that had passed, but when it made itself known again, she withdrew. Hercules seemed to sense it and he, too, sat back. The silence was pushing back against them. Meg self consciously folded her arms over her chest, worrying at her lower lip. She wanted to know what he was thinking.

Had he forgiven her? _Could_ he have forgiven her? He seemed lost in thought, minute twitches in his features showing signs of an inner debate. Meg wanted to smooth the crease between his brows, caress his cheek slowly. Instead, she kept her hands to herself. What could she possibly say?

‘I don’t know how to do this,’ Hercules eventually confessed, causing Meg to look up. He dragged his hand through his hair, making it stick up. ‘It’s just… There’s been so many things happening this year, and-and everything has changed.’ Meg nodded carefully. ‘And I’m still upset about… Some things, and you are dealing with…’ He rambled for a bit and Meg let him continue a little, before interrupting him.

‘What are you saying?’ 

He met her gaze.

‘That we’re so far off from where we were before,’ he murmured, voice cracking. ‘I’m not the same person I was when we got to know each other, and I think neither are you.’

Where was he going with this?

‘Trust has been broken between us, so many times. We’ve lied and hurt one another.’ 

Meg’s eyes teared up. She breathed through her nose, unable to let her eyes leave his face. 

‘I know,’ she conceded and wished she had the energy to argue with him.

‘I just think, a smart, logical person would tell you that we need to stop this before both of us get hurt.’

Meg shook her head, not wanting to hear another word of it, but Hercules continued.

‘But honestly, I never were smart and I am so tired of overthinking every feeling and every choice that I ever made, when all I want is to kiss you.’ 

He gently reached for her hands, cradling them in his. They were warm, softer than Meg had imagined. Tears prickled in her eyes but she ignored them. Despite the sniffing noise her nose made, she smirked, feeling herself nearly collapsing into him.

‘Then why don’t you?’

It should have been perfect, the way their lips would meet, soft against each other. Meg had imagined similar scenarios many times in her head, how he’d pull her close to his chest, her hands sliding around his neck and her teeth gently tugging at his lower lip. 

What did in fact happen was that a _thump_ sounded right outside the door, followed by a loud grunt.

Meg, who was leaning forward to close the distance between them, jumped the noise and felt the painful pull of her stitches. She swore under her breath and used Hercules’ shoulders to stabilize herself.

They listened carefully for a second or two. It was quiet. Meg rolled her eyes, leaning her forehead against his.

‘They’re right outside listening, aren’t they?’ she murmured. Hercules let out a small laugh.

‘Of course they are,’ he chuckled.

‘ _For gods' sake, just_ kiss!’ Calliope’s muffled voice shouted from outside. 

‘Gee, way to ruin the--’ Hercules began but was stopped by Meg’s hands on his neck, pulling him into what was one long-awaited kiss. 

The kiss itself wasn’t anything particular, but the wait, the longing, the fact that it was Hercules kissing her back, made it the best damn kiss she’d ever had. She’d never get tired of this, his surprised and pleased hum against her skin, the way his arms carefully wrapped around her. His scent surrounded her and she couldn’t stop smiling into the kiss.

Their moment was cut short by a bustle of people bursting through the door. Hercules shot out of his seat and brushed himself off, looking delightfully embarrassed. Meg received hugs and kisses on the cheek from Calliope and Ianos, happy exclaims and ‘Welcome home, Aphrodite’. Althea watched her from the back of the room, frowning.

The way they had left it the last time they spoke made Meg wonder if Althea even cared that she was back. Althea was one of the most loyal people she met, but also the one holding grudges forever. People quieted down, just a little, and when Althea approached the divan, sat down next to Meg and pulled her into a fierce, tight hug, they all released a collective sigh of relief. Althea pressed her head to Meg, who held her as tight as she could. They were both bad at expressing themselves, but the gesture said all she needed to know.

‘Sosthenes will be glad to have you back, girl,’ she mumbled and released the hug, though she gave her a small smile. ‘We all make bad choices sometimes,’ she added and Meg wondered if she knew.

The talking and cheering exploded when a familiar gallop of paws thudded outside and a giant, brown speckled dog darted into the room, jumping up and down and barking rudely. Meg did start crying when she reached her arms towards Zoe and kissed the stupid, silly dog between her ears. She sobbed and hugged her, allowing several sloppy licks on her face.

Laughing and crying, she scratched Zoe’s back enthusiastically and looked around the room. So many people who cared about her, who accepted her back despite everything. Alexis and Calliope were locked in a tight embrace, smiling stupidly. Gregor began to rave about the fact that she was now dating a freaking _god._ The fishermen, the traders, Cora. Agathe. 

Hercules. _Her Wonderboy._

Meg felt like her chest expanding until it was too big to contain. She sat there, watching her friends, her family, surround her and finally she started to realize that maybe she should put more faith in her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you to all my readers! It's been a blast telling this story and working through this version of Meg and Hercules. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have!
> 
> There might be an epilogue of sorts, but it won't have anything happen, plotwise, just a bit of my own self gratification. It might be a week or so before it goes up.  
> Stay safe and free from viruses!


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